• Why should I register?
• How to Register
• How can I check that I'm registered?

Why should I register?

Decisions made by local and national government affect you, your family and friends as you will come into daily contact with services such as:

• Schools, leisure centres, libraries, community centres and parks
• Refuse collection, street cleaning & lighting and road repairs
• Public transport, car parks and on-street parking
• Residential care homes and day centres
• Public health, city cafes, restaurants and other food outlets
• Housing & benefits
• Cemeteries, crematoria and many more

To have your say you need to be registered to vote. Being registered means you can vote at Local, Parliamentary and European elections.

There are other reasons why it is beneficial to be listed on the electoral register:

• If your name is not on the register it may affect your credit rating. You could experience problems getting loans, mortgages, finance agreements, mobile phone contracts etc.
• The electoral register is used to call people for jury service. Studies show that fewer young people and people from ethnic minorities register to vote. The result is that they are under-represented in the legal system.

It is also a legal requirement that you return a registration form each year and failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £1000. Even if you are registered to vote, you are obliged to return a completed canvass form annually.

Please note that being registered for Council Tax does not automatically put you on the register.

How to register

There are two main ways of registering to vote depending on the time of year. There are also special registration arrangements for some people. Students, Overseas Electors, HM Services Voters and Homeless People should visit the Special Arrangements for Voting page to ensure the appropriate arrangements are made regarding their registration.

Registering during the Annual Canvass

Every year a registration form is sent to each household between August and October requesting the details of all residents who are or will be living in the property on October 15. The form you receive will show the names of the people whose details we already have. By law you must complete and return the form each year with or without amendments.

For more information visit the Annual Canvass page.

Registering during Rolling Registration (1 December 2009 - 10 August 2010)

Outside of the annual canvass, new electors are added to the register monthly by Electoral Services. If you need to register during this time, visit the Rolling Registration page to download a form and find out what information you will need to provide to register.

How can I check that I'm registered?

The full register is available for public inspection at Central Library, Angel Row, and edited versions of the register can be found at various locations around the city. For information about the register, such as the differences between the Full and Edited register and viewing locations, please visit The Electoral Register page.

For further information please contact Electoral Services on 0115 8764111 or email us at elections@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.