Your vote counts! Make sure you are registered

The city’s electoral register is almost ready. The official Annual Revised Register for the year ahead is due to be published on December 1 2014.

There is still time to register and be eligible to vote in the 2015 General Election, even after the latest revised register is complete.

Residents are urged to register as soon as possible to ensure they are added to the rolling register, which is held on a database, and used to generate the poll cards for voters. The rolling register records can be updated until April 20, 2015. However residents are advised to sign up as soon as possible to be sure of inclusion.

The new register is the first to be published after major national changes to registration were introduced this summer.

A more secure system of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) was implemented to replace the old Victorian format where the ‘head of household’ registered everyone living in a property. Now, each individual will be responsible for registering themselves.

Many Brighton & Hove residents automatically transferred onto the new electoral register. However, some people were sent letters saying what they needed to do to join or remain on the register. Anyone who received a letter in July and has not yet followed the instructions should act now.

Penny Thompson, Brighton & Hove City Council Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer, said: “I would like to encourage all residents to sign up to the register so they are able to vote in elections in the city. This is especially important as we head into a General Election and Local Election year. Residents can register to vote using a quick and easy online process. Information is on our website and the Electoral Services team can also be contacted by email or telephone if anyone has any queries.” 

The changes to IER also saw the introduction of registering online. Again, the aim is to update Victorian record keeping methods by providing a 21st century solution.

For more information, click here:

If you are unsure as to whether you are registered, contact Brighton & Hove City Council’s Electoral Services office 01273 291999.

Or email: