The Electoral Register is now being updated and all households in South Holland should have received an annual registration form by 2 September 2011.
By law, you must respond to this form so that details of your name and address can be kept up to date on the electoral register. Please help us to keep our costs down by registering as soon as possible.
If there have not been any changes to the details given on the form, you can save the Council money by registering using the freephone, internet or mobile phone text messaging (SMS) service. If you use one of these services you will not need to return your paper form. Please have your form to hand when registering using SMS, Freephone or Internet.
The telephone, internet and text services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the canvass period. You can still complete and return the form if you would prefer to register in this way. Further details on registering using the internet, telephone and text message services are given below.
If you need to make amendments to the details given on the form or if you need to add or delete names then you must complete and return the form.
To Register by Internet at www.elecreg.co.uk/shdc
If you wish to confirm that the details on the form are correct, change whether the people listed on your form appear on the edited register, and/or apply for a postal vote, then visit www.elecreg.co.uk/shdc using your internet browser and then enter the two-part Security Code which is printed at the top of your form. During the registration you can opt out from the Edited Register and also request postal vote application forms. This service is available in English and Polish.
To Register by Freephone on 0808 284 1480
If you wish to confirm that the details on the form are correct, change whether the people listed on your form appear on the edited register, and/or apply for a postal vote, then call 0808 284 1480 and follow the instructions you are given. You must have a touch-tone telephone to use this service. When you phone you will be asked to key in your two-part Security Code which is printed at the top of your form. You will also be asked whether anyone wishes to be excluded from the edited register and can request postal vote application forms during the registration. At the end of the call you will be asked to confirm your date of birth as a security measure. This service is available in English, Cantonese, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Slovak.
To Register by Text SMS Message to 07786 209 380 (24 hours, standard network rates apply)
If all the details on your form are correct, then text your two security codes, separated by a space, to 07786 209 380. Text messages are charged at your provider’s standard rate and an acknowledgement message will be sent back to your mobile if your SMS registration is successful. Please note that you cannot choose to opt out of the edited register or request postal vote application forms when registering by this service.
To Register by Post
Please make any necessary amendments to the details printed on your form, delete the names of anyone no longer resident at your address and add the names of any new residents over the age of 16. Remember to include the date of birth against anyone who is not yet 18. You can request to be excluded from the Edited Register by placing a tick in the end column and can also request postal vote application forms. Please then sign Part 5 and return the form in the envelope provided.
Before registering by any of the above methods please read the paragraphs on the back of your canvass form which describes the consequences of excluding household members from the edited register (paragraph 6 headed ‘The Full and Edited Registers’).
Updated details must be given by law – either by completing and returning the form or by using the freephone, internet or text response services to confirm the details. If you are a British, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen you need to be on the electoral register to be able to vote. The register is also used by credit reference agencies when checking residency and if your name is not included you may experience difficulties opening a bank account or obtaining credit.
Please register by phone, internet or text message or complete and return your form as soon as possible. If you haven’t received an electoral registration form at your property by 2 September or have mislaid your form contact the Electoral Services Office at the Council Offices, Spalding on tel: 01775 761161 or email us at elections@sholland.gov.uk.
Common Questions
Q. The form I have received has the names of the previous occupiers of the property listed, what should I do?
A. Please cross through the names of people no longer living at the address then add new names and sign and return the form.
Q. I haven’t received a form/ I have mislaid my form?
A. Contact Electoral Services on 01775 761161 to request a form.
Q. When will any changes made to the form take effect?
A. The new register comes into force on 1 December 2011 and any changes will take effect from that date.
Q. Should children be included on the form?
A. Only people who are aged 16 or over and were born before 30 November 1994 should be included. If they are under 18 their date of birth should be entered in the 16/17 year olds column against their name.
Q. What is the edited register?
A. The edited register is available for general sale and can be bought by any person, company or organisation and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing. You can be excluded from the Edited Register by entering a tick in the Edited Register column of the form or by requesting this when registering on the internet or by telephone. Excluding your name from the Edited Register will mean that your details will not be sold on to anyone. Please note that the opt out status will not be carried forward from last year’s register. If you have previously opted out of the Edited Register and want to continue to do so please ensure you either mark the form accordingly or request this when registering by phone or the internet services.
Q. We are moving house soon, do we still need to fill in the form?
A. Yes, please complete the form indicating who is currently living at the property and enter your new address and expected date of move in Part 4 then sign and return it. We will then send a follow up form to the property near to the residence date of 15 October.
Q. I have already returned my form but the details have now changed, what should I do?
A. Contact Electoral Services on 01775 761161 to request another form.
Q. The form indicates that I have a postal vote but I would like to cancel it and vote at my polling station at future elections, what should I do?
A. Write ‘please cancel’ against the word ‘Postal’ printed next to your name on the form and sign against it, then make any other alterations and sign Part 5. We will then arrange for your postal vote to be cancelled and you can vote at your polling station at future elections.
Q. I have registered by the freephone / text / internet service and have made a mistake / realised that I need to make changes to the details on the form, what should I do?
A. If you still have the form amend it as necessary then sign and return it in the envelope provided and the details on the form will be taken as the correct details for your property. If you no longer have the form please contact us on 01775 761161 to request another form.
Q. Why am I asked to enter my date of birth when registering by freephone?
A. Your date of birth is requested as an additional security measure. Entering your date of birth is similar to signing the form, which you are required to do if returning the form by post. If there are any queries later about your registration, the date of birth is one of the pieces of information recorded during the phone call to enable us to identify the person who registered on behalf of the household.
Q. I have tried to register by phone and am having problems successfully entering my date of birth?
A. You must enter the date of birth as an 8 digit number : dd/mm/yyyy. For example, if your date of birth is 1st February 1965 you will need to enter 01021965.
