Elections: Electoral Register
Ryedale District Council is responsible for compiling and
publishing the annual Register of Electors and processes
applications for inclusion in the Register. If you are not on
the Electoral Register you will not be eligible to vote in any
Parliamentary, European, County, District or Parish Election.
You are, by law*, required to complete a
Canvass Form so that your details can be kept up to date on the
Electoral Register. Any person failing to comply with the
request for Registration information or giving false information is
liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000.
*(Regulation 23 of the Representation of the People
Regulations 2001).
On this page:
The Annual Canvass
Every year from the middle of
August households in the District of Ryedale are sent a Canvass
Form which should be completed and returned to Democratic
Services, in order that their details may be included on the next
published Register of Electors.
How is the Canvass
Undertaken?
Households are offered two
options for making sure their details are correctly
transferred to the current Register of Electors, depending on
whether all the pre-printed details on the Canvass Registration
Form remain correct or whether any changes are
required.
Changes Required
Electors must return their Registration Form by
post if any changes are required - for example, if
they need to:
- add new names to those already printed
on the form;
- delete previous names already
printed on the form;
- amend any names already printed on the
form, eg if you have married and your surname has
changed.
No Changes Necessary
If all of the details
on the Form are correct and no changes are required,
electors can use the unique security codes printed on the
front of the Form to register either via the
internet, telephone, or text message.
- Internet: Register Online.
- Telephone: 08082 841 509
and enter Parts 1 and 2 of your unique security code when
prompted.
- Text Message: Text the two parts of your security code, with a
space inbetween, to 07786 209 409*.
These options are only open during
the Canvass period of mid August to early November
each year.
* Please note that standard network charges apply from
mobile telephones.
Need to Register after the Publication
of the Register?
Once the new Register has been
published, households must provide
individual signatures to have their details amended whilst
the current Register is in force. This is known as
‘Rolling Registration’. Registration Forms are available
from Customer Services at Ryedale House, telephone:
01653 600666 or via About my Vote.
What if your name has not been
included on the Register or needs amending?
The Register
of Electors will be published on the 01
December each year and reflects where electors were
living as at the qualification date of 15
October. Electors should check their name
has been included on the new Register of Electors. If it is
not included, needs amending, or if you have moved since 15th
October, please contact Democratic Services as soon as
possible, so that you can be sent a form for completion and
return.
How do I get someone's name removed from the
Register?
As the new property
occupier, you may find that when you receive your Canvass
Registration Form, the previous occupier's name is still
included on it. The new occupier should use this Form to let
us know of the changes required whilst the Canvass period is in
operation. After the Canvass, during the ‘Rolling
Registration’ period, you can ask us to remove the former
occupant's details. Under new legislation, providing we have
evidence to show that the previous occupier(s) no longer reside
there, the Council can take steps to remove those
details. This involves writing to the former occupier giving
them 14 days' notice of our intention to remove their name.
Once the fourteen-day period has expired, the Electoral
Registration Officer has the power to remove their name from the
Register, and this is then carried out in accordance with the
timetable for adding/removing names under ‘Rolling
Registration’.
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Who can Vote at an Election?
Only persons whose
name has been added to the Register of Electors in time
for that Election and has qualified on grounds of age,
nationality and so on. To vote at Parliamentary
or Local Elections (District, Parish and County), a person must
also:
- Be eighteen years or older on polling day.
- Be a British, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union
citizen.
- Not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote, such as being
in prison.
European Union citizens (other than British or Irish Citizens)
are only entitled to vote at Local Elections and European
Parliamentary Elections. There is no entitlement to vote at
UK Parliamentary Elections. Overseas electors (eligible
British citizens living abroad) may register and vote at
Parliamentary and European Parliamentary Elections for a
period of up to 15 years after they have left the country.
There is no entitlement to vote at Local Elections.
If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are
registered, please telephone Democratic Services on
01653
600666 for information or e-mail:
elections@ryedale.gov.uk.
How to Register to
Vote
Every British, Commonwealth or
Republic of Ireland citizen living in Great Britain is eligible to
vote in this country's Elections. All other European Union
citizens are eligible to vote in European Parliamentary Elections
and Local Elections held here.
You can only vote if your name is on the Register of Electors (also
referred to as the Voters' List). The Register is updated every
autumn but names can be added, deleted and amended throughout the
year. If your details are incorrect or have
changed please write to advise us of this so we can
update our records. If you move within the District of
Ryedale, or move to Ryedale from another area, a new
Voter Registration Form should be completed. If applicable,
we will inform the Electoral Registration Officer at your
previous address so your name can be deleted from
their Register.
You can download and complete the Voter Registration Form from
About my Vote. Only
one person can apply per form and you must sign your own form,
someone else cannot do it for you. Alternatively a
Registration Form may be obtained from Ryedale House with your
property details included and can be used for more than one
person but each individual must sign the Form. Please note:
being on the Council Tax list does not mean you are registered
to vote. The Voters' List will be updated as
follows:
|
If we receive your form
before
|
Your details will be changed
on
|
|
Monday, 13 December 2010
|
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
|
|
Monday, 10 January 20110
|
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
|
|
Monday, 07 February 2011
|
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
|
|
Thursday, 10 March
2011
|
Friday, 1 April 2011
|
|
Monday, 11 April 2011
|
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
|
|
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
|
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
|
|
Thursday, 9 June 2011
|
Friday, 1 July 2011
|
|
Friday, 8 July 2011
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Monday, 1 August 2011
|
|
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
|
Thursday, 1 September
2011
|
There are no amendments made to
the Register during September, October or November as this is the
Annual Canvass period when all households have to register. A
Revised Register is published on 01 December each
year.
People who live between two homes
(including students) are allowed to register at both. If you
do not want your name to be removed from your other address, please
explain why on your form.
Special provisions have
been made for other categories of electors, details of which are
set out below.
Service Personnel
Servicemen and women have
the option of either registering as "Service Voters",
or as ordinary civilian voters. Application forms are
available from Democratic Services at Ryedale District
Council. Alternatively, further information and an
application form can be obtained from About my Vote.
In March
2010, service voters' registration applications became
valid for five years.
Service voters should therefore ensure that any address
changes for postal ballot papers are kept up to date
within that period.
Overseas Electors
British Citizens living
overseas may preserve their right to vote in UK Parliamentary and
European Parliamentary Elections for a 15-year period from their
last registered entry in the UK. For those qualifying
electors who had their last UK registration address in Ryedale, you
may obtain a Registration Application
Form from Democratic Services at Ryedale House, telephone
01653 600666, e-mail elections@ryedale.gov.uk or
download from About my Vote.
Crown Servants/British
Council Employees and their Spouses living Overseas
If you are working
outside the UK as a Crown Servant or as an employee of the British
Council, you can still register to vote. You can also
register if you are married to a Crown Servant or British Council
employee and you are accompanying them during their employment
abroad. Qualifying electors may obtain Application
Forms from their place of work, from Ryedale District
Council's Democratic Services, telephone 01653
600666, e-mail: elections@ryedale.gov.uk. or
download from About my Vote.
Persons with No Fixed Address
You can still register to vote even if you do
not have a fixed address. This may be because you are:
- a patient in a mental health hospital;
- a homeless person; or
- a person remanded in custody.
To register, you need to
fill in a form called a 'Declaration of Local Connection'.
You can get this form by contacting Democratic Services at
Ryedale House, telephone 01653 600666 or e-mail:
elections@ryedale.gov.uk.
On this form you need to give an address where you would be living
if it were not for your current situation, or an address where you
have lived in the past. If you are homeless, you can give
details of where you spend a substantial part of your time.
Anonymous Registration
If your personal safety
would be at risk from your name appearing on the Voters' List, you
may be able to register anonymously.
Whilst new rules were introduced in 2007 which will allow
some people to register in this way,
they are exceptionally strict and set out in law.
To qualify, you will need either:
- a current court order or injunction which is
for the protection of or benefit to either you or someone in your
household; or
- a qualified person needs to support your
application.
That qualified person must be:
- The Chief Officer of Police of any police
force in England and Wales;
- The Chief Constable of any police force in
Scotland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland;
- The Director General of the Security Services
or the Serious Organised Crime Agency; or
- A Director of Adult Social Services or
Children's Services in England, a Director of Social Services in
Wales or a Chief Social Work Officer in Scotland.
The qualifying officer does
not have to be based in the same area as the
applicant, but the attestation cannot be delegated
to a more junior person within the organisation.
Renewal of Applications
With the exception of
Service Voters applications which remain valid for five
years, the other "special elector" categories require
annual renewals to be completed, in order to remain
registered. These are sent to your last notified
address up to three months before your current
registration expires, to allow you time to complete and return your
Form to us. If we do not hear back from you we remove your
name at the end of that period and write to you to explain why.
For Anonymous
Registration, you should keep copies of court orders or a copy of
attestations for subsequent applications, as these have to be
submitted annually along with your renewal application.
Not Registered in time for an Election?
You have up until
eleven working days before an Election to submit
an application to register. However, if you have missed this
registration deadline, you may still have the opportunity to vote
from your former address, provided that your name still appears
there on the relevant Electoral Register. If it does still
appear, you could:
- visit your former Polling Station and quote
your old address to obtain a ballot paper; or
- providing you are not an existing postal
voter, you may appoint someone else to be your proxy, who could
either attend your former polling station to vote on your
behalf. This can be arranged up to six working
days before polling day.
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The Electoral Register
Before completing your Voter
Registration Form it is important to read the notes on the back
carefully, especially the notes that refer to the
'Edited' and 'Full' Register of
Electors.
You have some choice about who
can buy details of your name and address. There are two
versions of the Register: the Edited version and
the Full version. When you fill in your
Voter Registration Form, you will be able to choose whether you
want your details included on the Edited
Register.
Full Register
The Full Register lists everyone
who is entitled to vote including those who have chosen
not to appear on the Edited Register and is not
for sale for commercial purposes. You do not have a choice
about your details being on this Register. The main use
of the Full Register is to show who can vote in Elections and
Referenda. Only certain people and organisations can have, or
purchase, copies of the Full Register, and the Register can
only be used for electoral purposes, the prevention and
detection of crime and checking your identity when you have applied
for credit. It is a criminal offence
for any organisation to pass this information on to
anyone else or to use it for any other purpose.
Edited Register
You can choose not to be on the Edited
Register, which is available for general sale and can be used for
any purpose, by ticking the relevant box on the Voter Registration
Form. The Edited Register can be bought by any person,
company or organisation and can be used for commercial activities
such as marketing.
Monthly Amendments
Amendments to the Register are
made on a monthly basis between December and August and an
application form can be obtained from Democratic Services,
e-mail: elections@ryedale.gov.uk or
telephone Customer Services on 01653 600
666. Only people who live in Ryedale
should complete this form. If you live in another area
click on About my
Vote to find your Council's
website.
Inspecting The Register of
Electors
To inspect the
Full Register twenty-four hours notice needs to be
given and the Register can only be viewed under
supervision. Contact Democratic Services on
01653 600666 or e-mail: elections@ryedale.gov.uk.
The Edited Register and the Edited Monthly Updates to the Register
are available for inspection at Ryedale House, Malton during office
hours:
| Monday to Thursday: |
08:30 to 17:00 |
| Friday: |
08:30 to 16:30 |
Copies of The Register of Electors
Councillors, including District,
Parish and County Council, are entitled to a copy of the Electoral
Register for their Ward, Parish or Division. Those who wish to
receive a copy of the Register of Electors should complete the
appropriate
application
form, returning it to Democratic Services at
Ryedale District Council.
How do I Vote?
You will receive a poll card
prior to the Election advising you of your Electoral Number, the
date of the Election and where your polling station is
situated. At the polling station there will be information to
tell you how to vote and how many candidates you can vote
for.
When are Elections held?
There are different rules for each type of Election:
UK Parliamentary Elections
The maximum period allowed
between UK Parliamentary Elections is five years. There is no
statutory minimum period. By constitutional law, the timing
of a General Election is an issue of royal prerogative.
Formally, it is the Queen who is responsible for dissolving
Parliament by Royal Proclamation. In practice, the Prime
Minister will advise the Queen and give her control over the timing
of the Election. The last UK Parliamentary Election was held
on 27 May 2010.
European Parliamentary Elections
European Parliamentary Elections are every five
years. The previous European Parliamentary Election was held
on Thursday, 4 June 2009 in conjunction with North Yorkshire
County Council Elections.
Local Government Elections
Elections in Ryedale for the District, Parishes
and County Council are held every four years.
Ryedale District Council Elections
The District is divided into 20
wards for the purposes of District Elections, with each Ward
returning between one and three Councillors. The total number
of Councillors representing the District is 30. District
Councils can choose between "all out Elections" every four years or
can opt for annual Elections, with one third of Councillors
retiring each year for three years. In Ryedale, all out
Elections are held every four years. The last District
Council Election was on 5 May 2011. Local Government
Elections are normally held on the first Thursday in May.
The District of Ryedale is
divided into 121 Parishes of which 91 Parishes are large enough to
have their own Parish Councillors. The remaining Parishes
hold regular Parish Meetings. Every Parish must have an
Annual Parish Meeting, which all local government electors for the
Parish are entitled to attend. Elections for Parish/Town
Council Elections are held at the same time as District Elections
and Parish/Town Councillors are elected for a term of four
years.
County Council Elections
Ryedale District is divided into
six County Divisions, each returning one elected Councillor to
North Yorkshire County Council. The six Divisions are
Hovingham and Sheriff Hutton; Kirkbymoorside; Malton; Norton;
Pickering; Thornton Dale and the Wolds. County Council
Elections are held every four years and are normally held on the
first Thursday in May. In 2009 the County Council
Election was held on Thursday 04 June in conjunction
with the European Parliamentary Election.
Nominating Candidates and Voting
You will only be able to
nominate a candidate at an Election, if your name appears on
the last Register of Electors to be published before the Notice of
Election is published. You will only be able to vote at an
Election if your application to appear on the Register has been
accepted by the eleventh working day before the
poll takes place. For example, in the May 2007
Elections, you could have nominated a
candidate if your name appeared on the Register published
on 1 March 2007 and you could also
have voted if your name was included on the
Register by 18 April 2007.
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Please Remember
- If you are a British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union
Citizen, you need to be on the Electoral Register to be able to
vote and you must register every year. You are not
automatically registered, even if you pay Council Tax.
- If you want to restrict who has access to your name and address
on the Electoral Register, you must tell the Electoral Registration
Officer that you want to ‘opt out’.
- If you move house, you can register at your new address at any
time of the year - don't just wait for the next Canvass to take
place.
- If you're living away from home (eg as a student), you can
register at more than one address, but you can only vote once in
any single election.
- Due to new legislation, registration can take place eleven
working days before polling day.
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Contact Democratic Services
Our address, directions and
opening times at Ryedale House are given via the
Contact
Us link at the top of the page. Please use the main telelphone
number 01653 600 666 to contact us.