Voting - don't lose the right to vote

You are urged to fill in electoral registration forms to ensure your right to vote.

Registration forms are delivered to every home in North Somerset and all residents eligible are asked to fill in their details to ensure they can vote.

To be able to vote in referendums and in Parish, District, European and General Elections, you should list everyone who is over 18, or who will have their 18th birthday during the coming year.

Existing details from last year are pre-printed on the form to help and anyone who has moved away permanently should be crossed off the form.

Any household members not listed should be added and once completed, the form should be signed by a member of the household and returned in the pre-paid envelope.

Forms can be returned straight away.

It should also be remembered that finance companies often use the electoral register as part of the cross checking done when people apply for loans and mortgages etc.

Often it is a case of no registration - no loan.

In the past, even if people living in a property did not return the form, the electoral registration department sometimes used its discretion to leave people's names on if satisfied they still lived there. However this is no longer possible so residents who don't complete the form may lose their right to vote.

Mike Jones, electoral services manager said: "We would urge all residents to complete the forms to ensure their right to vote. Voting is vital to the democratic process and by simply taking a couple of minutes to fill out the form, residents can take part and have a real voice."

The register of electors, based on the forms, will be published and be available at council offices and libraries.

Residents are invited to check their details and inform the Electoral Services section if there are any mistakes.

The register is now a "rolling register", which means it can be amended during the year if you move house.

All that is needed is a form from Electoral Services and residents are urged to apply as soon as they move house as the process can take up to eight weeks to complete.

Anyone who would like further help or advice on the right to vote should telephone North Somerset's Electoral Services section on 01934 634909.

From a North Somerset Press release