news release 21 August 2008

Residents in South Derbyshire are being urged to make sure that they can vote at election time by registering this autumn.

The plea comes at the start of the annual canvass, when local authorities in Great Britain deliver voter registration forms to all households. To vote in an election, eligible electors must be on the Register of Electors.

All households in South Derbyshire will shortly be receiving a letter from the Council with a voter registration form. It will list all the people whose names appear on the current register for their address.

Says Frank McArdle, South Derbyshire’s Electoral Registration Officer, “The forms are easy to complete. All you have to do is to add the names of anyone who should be registered and cross out the names of anyone who no longer lives at the address. Then you sign and date the form and return it to the Civic Offices in Swadlincote in the pre-paid envelope as soon as possible. If you haven’t received a form by 1 September, please contact the Elections Office on 01283 595723 or elections@south-derbys.gov.uk.

This year it is even easier to register to vote. If there are no changes on the form you can register by freephone or via the internet. Just follow the simple instructions on the form.

Frank McArdle continues, “There are two elections scheduled for next year, the European Parliamentary and the County Council. Completing the canvass form is the only way of making sure you have a vote at election time – you aren’t automatically registered if you pay council tax or if you have registered previously. If you aren’t on the Electoral Register, you will miss out on the chance to have your say on how the country is run or how services are provided in South Derbyshire.”