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The Register of Electors

The Register of Electors contains details of everyone who has registered to vote. It is used to determine who can vote at elections while the Register is in force.

A new Register is published at least once a year, no later than 1st December. A revised version may be published at other times if, for example, major changes are made to the Register in the course of the year.

The Electoral Registration Officer

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is an official appointed by the local authority to prepare and maintain the Register of Electors. The ERO for Grampian has been appointed by Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council and is also Assessor for the Grampian Valuation Joint Board.

Click here for a list of all Electoral Registration Officers in Scotland.

Register Updates

The current version of the Register came into force last December and is updated on a monthly basis (except during the months of September, October and November) to reflect changes in people’s circumstances as they occur. For example, if you move house and notify the Electoral Registration Officer of the change early in March, your name could be added to the Register on 1 April.

Click here for a list of forms from which you may select an application form to register to vote. Please note that the form must be printed out, completed and signed, and then posted or delivered to the ERO.

Click here to view the monthly timetable governing applications to register to vote.

Annual Canvass

From 2007 the household canvass forms include details of a Freephone telephone number and internet web address which will allow confirmation of the names included on the form. If there are no changes in the household to be reported you may use the Freephone number or web address to confirm that the names are correct and to request a Postal Voting Application Form for any of the individuals concerned as well as request individual names to be excluded from the Edited Register (see below). If you use the Freephone or web address services there is no need to return the form.

Electors in households who do not use the Freephone or web address services and for which no electoral registration canvass form has been received for two consecutive years may be deleted from the register in prescribed circumstances. No separate intimation that names have been deleted will be provided. It is essential therefore that the Electoral Registration Officer receives confirmation each year even if there are no changes to report.

Electors can choose to have their names excluded from the version of the Register made available for sale (the "Edited Register") whilst remaining on the version used at elections (the "Full Register"). The intention behind this change, which was introduced in 2002, is to safeguard the privacy of electors and restrict unwanted "junk mail". In relation to the interests of the democratic process however the Full Register, which is a public document, is available for inspection as described at section 10 below.

To qualify to be registered to vote you must be

• resident or deemed resident in the registration area
• a British, other Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen
• aged 18 or over (16 and 17 year-olds can register but cannot vote until they are 18)
• not subject to any legal incapacity.

Click here for a list of Commonwealth countries and European Union Member States..

Citizens of the European Union may only register as local government and Scottish Parliamentary electors in the first instance. If they so wish, they can then register as European Parliamentary electors. 

Click here for a list of forms from which you can select an application to register as a European Parliamentary elector. Please note that the form must be printed out, completed and signed, and then posted or delivered to the ERO.

Cyprus and Malta are Commonwealth countries, in addition to being EU states. Membership of the EU therefore has no effect on the status of their citizens, who can continue to register to vote in elections for local government, the European Parliament, the Westminster Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, as appropriate, in the way that they have done in the past. (The same position obtains for Irish Citizens)

For registration purposes, the whole of Cyprus is considered to be a Commonwealth country. Citizens of Cyprus holding a passport from either the Republic of Cyprus or the Republic of Northern Cyprus are entitled to be included in the register of electors as Commonwealth citizens. However, anyone with a Turkish passport is not entitled to register.

Special citizenship arrangements were made in respect of Hong Kong, prior to its transfer to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997.  Essentially holders of British passports may register in the same way as Commonwealth citizens.

European Union citizens do not have the right to vote at UK Parliamentary elections.

Overseas Electors

British citizens resident abroad can register to vote by means of an Overseas Elector’s Declaration, provided that on the date the Declaration is made:

• they are not subject to any legal incapacity to vote
• they were once registered to vote in the UK and less than 15 years have elapsed since the Register they were on was in force

or

• a parent or guardian was so registered, if the applicant was too young to register to vote at the time.

An overseas elector can vote by post or proxy. (Absent Voting)

The Declaration lasts for 12 months and then lapses if not renewed by the elector. The ERO is obliged to send a reminder and a new application form to the elector between 9 and 10 months from the date on which the entry on the Register took effect.

In light of recent legislative change in relation to Absent Voting (see section 9 below) Overseas Electors are required to provide “Personal Identifiers” (signature and date of birth) in relation to the requirement to vote either by post or by the appointment of a proxy (someone to vote on your behalf).

Click here for a list of forms from which you can select an application to register as an Overseas Elector. Please note that the form must be printed out, completed and signed, and then posted or delivered to the ERO.

Click here for contact details for the ERO.

1. serving members of the armed forces and their spouses or civil partners (for whom the entitlement exists as an alternative to registering as civilian electors if resident in the UK) and
2. British Council staff and Crown Servants in posts abroad and their spouses or civil partners

by completing and submitting the appropriate Declaration form, which includes the facility to apply to vote by post or proxy. (Absent Voting)

The Declaration, in relation to electors in paragraph a. above,  lasts for 3 years and then lapses if not renewed by the elector. The ERO is obliged to send a reminder and a new application form to the elector between 33 and 34 months from the date on which the entry on the Register took effect. For electors in paragraph b. above the declaration lasts for 12 months and then lapses if not renewed. The ERO however is obliged to send a reminder and new application form between 9 and 10 months from the effective date.

In light of recent legislative change in relation to Absent Voting (see section 9 below) electors referred to in both paragraphs a. and b. above are required to provide “Personal Identifiers” (signature and date of birth) in relation to the requirement to vote either by post or by the appointment of a proxy (someone to vote on your behalf).

Click here for a list of forms which you can select an application to register as a Serivce Elector or as a Crown Servant/British Council employee. Please note that the form must be printed out, completed and signed, and then posted or delivered to the ERO.

Click here for contact details for the ERO.

Homeless People

A person who has no fixed address can still register to vote by means of a Declaration of Local Connection.

The Declaration lasts for 12 months and then lapses if not renewed by the elector. The ERO is obliged to send a reminder and a new application form to the elector between 9 and 10 months from the date on which the entry on the Register took effect.

Contact the ERO for details of how to register to vote in this way.

The Absent Voters’ List

The Electoral Registration Officer also maintains a list of people who are entitled to vote by post or by proxy. This is known as the Absent Voters’ List. Postal voting is available to anyone, whatever the circumstances.

With effect from 8 February 2008 however the law on Absent Voting has changed. Electors must now provide “Personal Identifiers” (signature and date of birth) along with their application.

Long-term proxy voting is available to people who cannot reasonably be expected to attend their polling station at elections because

• they suffer from a physical incapacity, or
• their employment duties take them away from home, or
• their attendance on a course of study takes them away from home.

Temporary proxy voting is available to people who cannot reasonably be expected to attend their polling station at elections because they will be away from home temporarily on the date of the election.

Proxy voters too must provide Personal Identifiers with their application but persons appointed as proxies only require Personal Identifiers if they wish to vote by post.

Personal Identifiers will be kept securely but may be checked by the Returning Officer at the time of elections and compared with the signature and date of birth provided with the postal voting security statement.

Click here for a list of forms from which you can select an application to register as a Postal or Proxy voter. Please note that the form must be printed out, completed and signed, and then posted or delivered to the ERO.

Click here for contact details for the ERO.

Checking the Register

The Register of Electors is a public document and displayed throughout the registration area at public libraries, some council offices and at the offices of the ERO.

If you are unable to find your name in the Register of Electors, or if you are unable to check the Register personally, contact the ERO for assistance. For privacy reasons, Registration staff are unable to disclose Register information over the telephone, but will be happy to write to you to confirm your details if you wish.

Register Statistical Information

The Electoral Commission

This public body was set up on 30 November 2000 under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It is independent of the Government, not connected to any political organisation and answerable to Parliament. It has a unique role in the UK’s constitution.

The Commission aims to gain public confidence and encourage people to take part in the democratic process within the UK by modernising the electoral process, promoting public awareness of electoral matters and regulating political parties.

The Commission can be contacted at: