The democratic process in Britain means that the people choose officials to represent their interests in:
- local elections (eg to the London Borough of Bromley and for the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly);
- Parliamentary elections (to the House of Commons and to the European Parliament);
- referendums (at which you are asked a specific question on a particular issue).
The choice is made through voting, but you can only vote if your name is included on the Electoral Register.
In Bromley, the borough (local) elections are held every four years. The next local election will be held in 2010.
To be able to vote your name must be included on the register of electors. If you have not yet registered or have moved home recently you can obtain a form by either:
- phoning our Customer Helpline on 020 8313 4364
Who is entitled to register to vote
To be eligible to have your name included on the Electoral Register, you need to be:
- over 16 (although you cannot vote until your 18th birthday);
- a British, Irish or other Commonwealth citizen;
- a citizen of a European Union member state.
List of UK residents from Commonwealth and European Union countries eligible to register to vote.
If you are a citizen of a European Union member state (other than Britain, Republic of Ireland, Malta or Cyprus) you are not entitled to vote at UK parliamentary elections. You can vote at local elections and can choose to vote at European elections either for your Bromley address (provided that you complete a separate form) or your member state area.
How do you register to vote
The annual canvass
The Electoral Register is updated each year in the autumn using information we receive from a canvass of all the households in the borough. Every household is delivered a registration form at the end of August or beginning of September. The law requires this form to be returned. If this form is not returned or your name is not included, your details may not be on the Electoral Register. Paying council tax does not mean you are on the Register.
The new Electoral Register is published on 1 December and is based on residents who were eligible on 15 October.
Rolling registration
We will not be publishing monthly updates in October, November or December as rolling individual registration is suspended for the annual canvass. The final monthly update of 2008 will be published on 1 September and is based on individual voter registration forms returned by Friday 8 August.
If you are moving out of the borough, please contact your new authority for a registration form. They will notify us when you have been added to their Electoral Register and we will inform you when your name has been removed from our Electoral Register.
The rolling registration process is regulated by a rigid timetable and there are deadlines for each month's alterations. This can mean you may be too late to be added in time to vote at an election.
We will be updating the Electoral Register on the following dates:
| Forms received by |
Date added to the Register |
| 11 December 2007 |
2 January 2008 |
| 10 January 2008 |
1 February 2008 |
| 8 February 2008 |
3 March 2008 |
| 10 March 2008 |
1 April 2008 |
| 9 April 2008 |
1 May 2008 |
| 9 May 2008 |
2 June 2008 |
| 9 June 2008 |
1 July 2008 |
| 10 July 2008 |
1 August 2008 |
| 8 August 2008 |
1 September 2008 |
There is no updating during September, October and November during the annual canvass period.
It is not compulsory to re-register for your new address until the next canvass. However, you would have to vote at your old address.
The two versions of the Register
The Government has recently changed the law (1 December 2002) so that you now have some choice about the use of your personal information. Under these changes, there are two versions of the register - a full version and an edited version. When you fill in your registration form, you will be able to choose whether you want your details included in the edited version.
The full register
The full register lists everyone entitled to vote. It can be checked, under supervision, in the main reception at the Bromley Civic Centre. Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register, and they can only use it for specified purposes. These include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking the identity of people who have applied for credit. It is a criminal offence for them to pass it on to anyone else or use it for any other purpose.
The edited register
The edited register leaves out the names and addresses of people who have asked to be excluded from it. It can be bought by anyone and used for any purpose. For example, direct mailing companies may use it to send you information about goods and services. You can choose not to appear on the edited register by marking the relevant box on the registration form.
Keeping your vote if you are moving abroad
If you are a British citizen and you are thinking of living or working abroad, you may still be able to register to vote at parliamentary elections, from your last address here. Your right to vote in this country's elections can last up to 15 years. At the time of the election, you can choose to vote by post or proxy. For further information, please contact the Electoral Services.
Registering twice
If you are a student studying away from home, at university or college, you can register at both your home and term-time addresses.
If you have a second home and spend about an equal amount of time at both places, you can register at both addresses if your homes are in different areas.
Although you may register at more than one address, you are not allowed to vote more than once at the same election, such as a parliamentary election.
Special registration arrangements
If you are a member of the armed forces (or partner), a Crown Servant, a British council employee, a patient in a mental hospital, a remand prisoner or a homeless person, there are special arrangements for your registration. Please contact Electoral Services for further information.
Contact
Telephone: 020 8313 4364
Fax: 020 8313 4995
e-mail: electoral@bromley.gov.uk
Address: Electoral Services
Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley BR1 3UH
Office hours: Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm