Question 1 What is this form? Why have I received it? 2 All of the information on the form is correct and doesn't need updating, do I have to respond? 3 I don't want to register. I'm not interested in voting. Why should I complete the form? 4 What will happen if I don't respond to the form? 5 Whose details should be included in the form? Answer The form you have received is a data collection form for your property. It lists all of the people at your address who are registered to vote. Every year we send registration forms to every residential property in the borough to update the electoral register. We need to know if any of the details have changed since last year, where people listed on the form have moved out or new people have moved in. Where new people have moved in, we will send them an individual registration form. (Or they can go online directly at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.) The revised electoral register will be published on 1 December. A response is required from every property, even if the details haven't changed since last year. You could face a fine of up to 1000 if you do not respond to the form. You have a choice of options for how you respond to the form. You can respond online or by post if you need to make changes or no changes. You can use the telephone service only if there are no changes to make. Although the electoral register's primary purpose is for voting and other electoral purposes, it is also used for credit references and you may find it difficult to obtain a mortgage or other credit if you're not on the register. Where we do not receive a response to the form, we are obliged to send follow-up reminders. If we do not receive a response by the 10th August, we may have to send a canvasser to your property with a reminder form to collect the information in person. You should supply the names of all residents in your household who are eligible to register to vote. This includes anyone who is a British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen. Anyone who is 16 years of age should also be added to the form.
6 Why should I respond to the form? 7 The names of some people listed on the form no longer live at my address. What should I do? The household data collection form is the first part of the registration process. If you are not on the electoral register, you will not be able to vote in any elections or referendums you are entitled to vote in. You may also have difficulties applying for credit or a mortgage as the credit reference agencies have access to electoral registration details. If people who are listed on the form no longer live at the address, you should strike their name through on the form and post it back to us. Remember, you can also use the online service to do this and can tick a box to indicate that certain electors no longer live at your address. 8 What is the open register? The open register (also known as the edited register) is a second version of the full electoral register which is sold for marketing purposes. If you do not want your details appearing on the open register, you must opt out. The current opt out preferences for everyone registered at your address are shown on the form. To change these, we must receive written notification informing us of the change from each person individually. Individuals can download a form to complete to change their current opt out details here: http://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200396/electoralregister/414/electoralregistration/7. Alternatively, they can email us directly at electoral.registration@rbwm.gov.uk or write to Electoral Services, Town Hall, St. Ives Road, Maidenhead. 9 My name has changed/is spelt incorrectly on the form. What should I do? If your name has changed or your name is spelt incorrectly, you should provide us with your new/corrected name by either writing it on the form and posting it back to us, or by stating that your name has changed using the internet service. When we receive this information, we will write out to you asking you to provide evidence of your name change, such as a copy of your marriage certificate. Alternatively, you may provide a copy of evidence showing your name change if you are returning the form to us in the post, and we will not have to write out to you again asking for evidence. 10 Why does the form ask for residents' email and telephone addresses? Do I have to supply them? Providing the telephone and/or email addresses for people at your address is purely optional. These details do not form part of the electoral register. We ask for these details so that we can contact you if there is a problem with any of the information provided on the form. If you are proving the details of new electors online and provide these people s email addresses, they will be emailed a link to the website where they can register to vote.
11 I would like to vote by post. How do I do this? The voting arrangements of everyone registered at your address will be shown on the form. If anyone in your household would like to vote by post or by proxy, they should write "Postal" or "Proxy" in the relevant column (or indicate this online if using the internet service). When we receive this information, we will send each person a postal vote/proxy vote application form to complete. You need to supply your date of birth and signature to vote by either post or proxy at future elections. 12 I am a postal/proxy voter but I want to vote at the polling station in future. What should I do? 13 I have added the names of people who weren't previously listed on the form. Does this mean that they are now registered to vote? 14 I want to respond by telephone. How do I do this? Please cross through "Postal" or "Proxy" on the form and send it back. No. The registration process is now a two-stage process. After having supplied the names of new eligible electors, we will send these people an electoral registration form. On this form they will be asked to supply their date of birth and national insurance number. This information is used to verify their identity with the Department for Work and Pensions. If their identity can be verified, their names will be added to the electoral register for 1 December. You will need to use the security codes printed on your form. You will need both parts; Part 1 and Part 2. These are used to identify your property. If using the telephone service, this is an automated service. You should follow the prompts supplied to confirm that there are no changes to your property details. You can only use the telephone service if there are no changes to your household's details.
15 I want to respond by the internet. How do I do this? You will need to type www.elecreg.co.uk/rbwm into your web browser (not a search engine). You will then be prompted to supply the two part security codes, printed on your form. You can make changes to the list of residents at your property details online, as well as confirming no changes if this applies. 16 I am now over 70. How do I update this? 17 My nationality is different to that shown on the form. How can I update it? My security codes don't 18 work, what can I do? 19 I have already used the internet/telephone to respond to the form, but realised I made a mistake/need to make other changes to my property's details. Can I log on/dial again? If you have turned 70 in the past year, you must inform us of this by returning the paper form. You cannot make the change online or on the telephone. If your nationality has changed in the past year, you must inform us of this writing your new nationality on the form and posting it back to us. You cannot make the change online or on the telephone. When we receive notification of your new nationality, we will invite you to make a new application. Your security codes may not work if you type them in incorrectly or have typed them in the wrong way round, e.g Part 1 code is placed in the field for Part 2. Another reason why your security codes may not work is if someone else from your household has already responded. The security codes can only be used once. You can only use the security codes once. If you have already used the telephone/internet to make your response, but realise that you need to make further changes, you should complete the paper form with the information that was omitted online/by telephone and post it back to us. These changes will override/supplement the information you provided online/by phone. It would help if you also noted on the form that this return overrides the previous electronic response.
20 I have lost my form. Could you please send me another? If you have lost your form, you can ask for another to be sent to you by ringing 01628 683 868. The form sent to you will be blank and will not show any of the people currently registered at your address. The form will not have any security codes so you won't be able to use the internet or telephone. You should supply the names of all those people who are eligible to register and send it back in the post. 21 I have added my name to the form, when will my name appear on the electoral register? 22 My address is showing incorrectly on the form. What should I do? 23 There is no pre-paid envelope included/ I have lost the pre-paid envelope. What should I do? The household data collection form is the first part of the registration process. When you supply your details on this form, the office will send an individual registration form where you are asked to supply your national insurance number and date of birth as part of the new identity verification process. Alternatively, you can go online to register to vote directly at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Your entry will take effect on the electoral register on 1 December, provided your identity is verified. Please correct the address to what it should be on the form and send it back to us. We will have to check the address with other council records before we can make any changes to the addresses we hold. You can either wait for us to send another envelope with a reminder form or you can hand deliver the form to the Town Hall in Maidenhead or York House in an envelope clearly marked for Electoral Services, Town Hall. If your question is not on the list, please contact Electoral Services on 01628 683 868 or email electoral.registration@rbwm.gov.uk