Electoral register

Who can register to vote?

Anyone aged 16 or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18)
British or Commonwealth citizens
Citizens of the Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) countries

Citizens of EU countries (other than the UK, Ireland, Cyprus or Malta) cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections and must fill in a separate form to vote in the UK in European Parliamentary elections.

What is the Electoral Register?

The Electoral Register is the list of everyone who is registered to vote. You must be on the register to vote in elections and referendums. You are not automatically registered , even if you pay Council Tax.

The new register was published on 1 December 2008.

If you are not on the Electoral Register, or if you have moved address, you can re-register throughout the year - all you have to do is fill in an register to vote online form from the Electoral Commission or a voter registration form (Word document).

It is also much harder to obtain credit if you are not on the Register.

Who has my personal details?

There are two versions of the register - the full version and the edited version. Your details will appear on the full version of the register, but you can choose whether or not your details appear on the edited register.

The full register is used for elections and referendums, preventing and detecting crime and checking applications for credit. The edited register is available for general sale and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing.

The cost of purchasing the edited register is prescribed in law and is based on the number of electors. The current fee is £10 plus £5.00 per thousand electors (or part thereof) for a printed version or £20 plus £1.50 per thousand electors (or part thereof) for a data version . For further information please contact Electoral Services

You can check the edited version of Electoral Register at the Central Library and at the address at the bottom of this page. Alternatively you can call the Electoral Services Office on 024 7683 3034.

A letter confirming that you are included on the Register of Electors is available for £5.

Contact details

Electoral Services
Room 16, Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Telephone: 024 7683 3034
Fax: 024 7683 3204
E-mail: electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk

Downloadable documents

Voter Registration Form 2010 (56 kb)

Electoral registration