Annual Canvass
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Ryedale Electoral Registration
Office will be sending out annual canvass forms this week,
commencing 30 August 2010. These will be sent to all properties in
the District.
You need to reply in order
to stay on the electoral register so that you can vote in future
elections and referendums.
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Why should I register to
vote?
It gives you a say on
important issues that affect you; everything from roads and
recycling in your area, to education and climate change. You
may think you don’t want to vote now, but if an issue comes up that
you want to have your say on, if you’re on the register you’ll have
the chance to vote on it.
Remember, registering to
vote does not mean you have to, it just means you can if you want
to but if you don’t register you can’t vote! – It’s as simple as
that. To vote in any UK elections and referendums, you have to be
on the electoral register.
Common Myths
'I pay council tax,
I'm automatically registered to vote.’
Wrong, even if you pay
council tax, you will not automatically be registered to vote, so
you need to make sure you are.
'There's no
point in registering as I can never get to the polling stations
anyway'
- Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm
for all UK elections
- If you are unable to make it to the polling
station you can apply for a postal vote or you can ask someone else
to cast your vote for you (a proxy).
- At least if you are registered, you always
have the option.
There are only
elections every 4 years so I don't need to register every
year.
Although UK Parlimentary general
elections only have to be held once every 5 years, there are other
types of elections which affect your area and the people who
represent you. These include local government elections and
European Parliament elections. Elections can sometimes be
called at short notice and if you are not registered, you will not
be able to vote. You also have to be on the electoral
register to have your say in referendums.
When I register to vote, my details will be passed on
to lots of marketing companies.
There are two versions of the
electoral register - the full version and the edited version.
The full register is used only for elections, preventing and
detecting crime and checking applications for financial
credit. The edited register is available for general sale and
can be used for commercial activities like marketing. When
you register to vote, you can choose to tick a box to opt out of
the edited register, which means your details will not be used in
this way.
Further Information
For more in-depth information about Elections and the Electoral
Register please visit our web page
To contact the Electoral Registration Office at Ryedale District
Council:
Ryedale District Council
Electoral Registration Officer
Ryedale House
Malton
North Yorkshire
YO17 7HH
01653 600666
elections@ryedale.gov.uk.