Register of Electors
To vote at any election you need to included with the Register of Electors. This page explains the importance of registering your details for electoral purposes and how to make sure that you are registered at your current property.
The register of electors is a list of everyone who is entitled to vote. You can only vote in elections if your name is listed on the current register. However, the register is also used by many organisations to check your identity and not being registered at your current address can affect your credit rating, could prevent you from doing the following:
- opening a bank account
- getting a mobile phone contract
- buying a house
- receiving a student grant
In addition to this, it may also cost you and everyone else in the Borough additional Council Tax contributions, as the Government uses the electoral register to assess the population of Darlington and uses that figure when deciding how much money it grants to the Council to pay for key services.
It is a legal requirement to have your name included on the register and you are not automatically registered, even if you do pay Council Tax. You must complete and update an electoral registration form every year.
In order to register you must meet the following criteria:
- normally resident in the Council’s area
- over 16 (although you cannot vote until your 18th birthday)
- a British or Commonwealth Citizen
- a citizen of the Irish Republic or of another European Union Member State
List of Commonwealth and European Union Member States [external link]
The electoral register is updated every month from January through to September.