The electoral and open registers
There are two registers that contain information received from the public.
- The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote. It is used for elections and other limited purposes specified by law
- The open register is an extract of the electoral register. It is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed.
In July each year we send every household in the District a form requesting information on who is living in the property and eligible to register to vote. You must respond to this form even if all the information printed is correct.
Inspecting the electoral register
You can inspect the electoral register by appointment at the Council Offices, Albery House, Springfield Road, Horsham, RH12 2GB. Please contact us to make an appointment on 01403 215126 or elections@horsham.gov.uk. In view of the other work commitments of the Electoral Services team, supervised inspection is limited to 15 minutes per appointment. Information is listed in address order for each polling district.
In accordance with the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (as amended), you must follow these rules:
- Inspection of the register will be under supervision
- You can only record information from this register by making handwritten notes. Photocopying or electronic recording are not permitted by law.
- Information taken must not be used for direct marketing purposes, in accordance with data protection legislation, unless it has been published in the open version
Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and may be charged a penalty of up to £5,000.
How to opt out of the open register
Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register would not affect your right to vote.
There are two ways to remove your details from the Open Register:
Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register would not affect your right to vote.
There are two ways to remove your details from the Open Register:
- Fill out our Opt Out of the open register form at any time and return it to us
- Tell us in your annual Household Enquiry form, which is sent to households in July
Opt Out form
The electoral register is used by:
- Election staff, political parties, candidates and holders of elected office use the register for electoral purposes. ·
- Your local council and the British Library hold copies that anyone may look at under supervision. A copy is also held by the Electoral Commission, the Boundary Commissions (which set constituency boundaries for most elections) and the Office for National Statistics.
- The council can use the register for duties relating to security, enforcing the law and preventing crime. The police and the security services can also use it for law enforcement.
- The register is used when calling people for jury service.
- Government departments may buy the register from local registration officers and use it to help prevent and detect crime. They can also use it to safeguard national security by checking the background of job applicants and employees.
- Credit reference agencies can buy the register. They help other organisations to check the names and addresses of people applying for credit. They also use it to carry out identity checks when trying to prevent and detect money laundering.
It is a criminal offence for anyone to supply or use the register for anything else.
Users of the open register include:
- Businesses checking the identity and address details of people who apply for their services such as insurance, goods hire and property rental, as well as when they shop online
- Businesses selling age-restricted goods or services, such as alcohol and gambling online, to meet the rules on verifying the age of their customers
- Charities and voluntary agencies, for example to help maintain contact information for those who have chosen to donate bone marrow and to help people separated by adoption to find each other
- Charities, to help with fundraising and contacting people who have made donations
- Debt collection agencies when tracing people who have changed addresses without telling their creditors;
- Direct marketing firms when maintaining their mailing lists
- Landlords and letting agents when checking the identity of potential tenants ·
- Local councils when identifying and contacting residents
- Online directory firms to help users of the websites find people, such as when reuniting friend and families
- Organisations tracing and identifying beneficiaries of wills, pensions and insurance policies
- Private sector firms to verify details of job applicants