electoral roll

electoral roll: try a reference library/ or council customer service centre/ one stop shop type place.

Otherwise you need to open an account: 192.com

is there actually one big electoral roll or does each council have it's own?

it's likely to be wherever you were living last october gareth, however, they are currently in the update period so if you contact your local council i'm sure they'll send you a form, also it doesn't matter about the old place, as if someone else lives there now, they'll cross you off.

Or will they?

I've voted in places I no longer lived. Admittedly, this was pre-rolling registration, where I missed the cut off point for the register that year, so it was the only way I could vote.

Each Council has their own; I'm not aware of any centralised government database. The major parties have computerised records though, but that's because they pay people to tpye them in.

i'm not sure i'm even on it thats the thing. i could be in either bradford, barnet or islington councils, i just dont know

Gareth each October the council administrates the new electoral roll. In September the forms go out, and needed to be returned mid October. Then each council does follow up notices to non respondents and sometimes door-to-door visits to encourage completition.

If you have moved in recently then contact your local council and they will send you a form. You can be added to the councils electoral roll at any time, but the yearly full new electoral roll (for each council) is the one that is published/ and sold on to companies that apply for access to the data e.g credit reference agencies, direct marketing companies etc

Recent changes have come in place:

Electoral Roll being collected during 2002 contains an "Opt-Out" facility, for those who do not wish their name to appear on the "Edited Roll". Individuals who do not choose this opt-out will be included on the "Edited Roll", and their details will be available for any purpose. Current indications are that the levels of opt-out from the Edited Roll, are relatively small - but this situation is under constant review.

The UK Government has passed a new Act - The People’s Act 2000 - that is affecting availability and access to future UK Electoral Roll data sets, collected during and after 2002.

I opted out of the dited roll. I think. It was quite confusing - I was worried they were trying to steal me vote.

a quick google search found this: Government website

When the forms are returned the Electoral Registration Officer will use them to make up a draft register for people to check. This is usually published on 28 November each year. It shows the names and addresses of the people who appear to the Electoral Registration Officer to be eligible to vote.

You can see a copy of the draft register in your local council offices, or at post offices and libraries, between 28 November and 16 December. Check that your name is on it. If it isn’t, ask the Electoral Registration Officer to add your name before the final register is published on 15 February. You can still have your name added after that date. But don’t leave it too late. It takes time to change the register and you may not get on in time for an election.