Electoral register
Encyclopedia
The electoral roll is a listing of all those registered to vote
in a particular area. The register facilitates the process of voting, helps to prevent fraud and may also be used to select people for jury
duty. Electoral registers are used in many democracies including the United States
, United Kingdom
, Australia
, and New Zealand
.
, Commonwealth
and European Union
citizens. British citizens living overseas may register for up to 15 years after they were last registered at an address in the UK. It is possible for someone to register before their 18th birthday as long as they will reach that age before the next revision of the register.
The register is compiled for each polling district, and held by the electoral registration office. In England and Wales
this office is located at the local council (district, borough, or unitary level). In Scotland, the offices are sometimes located with councils, but may also be separate. Northern Ireland has a central Electoral Office run by the government.
At present, the register is compiled by sending an annual canvass form to every house (a process introduced by Representation of the People Act 1918
). A fine of up to £1,000 (level 3 on the Standard scale
) can be imposed for giving false information. Up to 2001, the revised register was published on 15 February each year, based on a qualifying date of 10 October, and a draft register published on 28 November the previous year. From 2001 as a result of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
, the annual 'revised' register is published on 1 December, although it is possible to update the register with new names each month between January and September.
The register has two formats. The full version of the register is available for supervised inspection by anyone, by legal right. It is this register that is used for voting and its supply and use is limited by law. Copies of this register are available to certain groups and individuals, such as credit reference agencies and political parties.
An 'edited' version of the register, which omits those people who have chosen to 'opt-out', can be purchased by anyone for any purpose.
The full register contains the following information:
Plans for a Coordinated Online Register of Electors
(CORE) are underway; the intention being to standardise local registers and permit central data access.
It has been suggested that in the future the register may be taken from the data that is to be held on the proposed Citizen Information Project
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmhaff/uc130-vi/uc13002.htm, or on the National Identity Register http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmconst/uc243-i/uc24302.htm. In January 2005 the Constitutional Affairs Committee
and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister began a joint inquiry into reforming the registration system.
Despite widespread calls for its introduction, the Electoral Administration Act 2006
did not provide for individual voter registration, on the justification that registration levels would fall. However, in July 2009, the Political Parties and Elections Act became law. The Act introduces a move from a system of household registration to a system of individual electoral registration in Great Britain. Electoral roll searches can be made at http://www.electoralrollsearch.com (This is not a free service or does it have anything to do with the UK Government)
since the founding to determine voting eligibility. Modern poll books are a list of registered voters with eligibility to participate in an election. In the United States, the roll is usually managed by a local entity such as a county or parish. However, the data used for electoral rolls may be provided by state wide sources. While traditional poll books are printed voter rolls, more recently Electronic pollbook
s have come into favor. Computerized electoral rolls allow for larger numbers of voters to be handled easily and allows for more flexibility in poll locations and the electoral process.
and Victoria
.
Compilation of an annual electoral roll for the Commonwealth of Australia commenced following federation in 1901. For some years afterwards, the individual States also compiled State electoral rolls, but (with the exception of Western Australia
) these have been discontinued, and State and local elections are today based upon the Commonwealth electoral roll.
Enrolment is compulsory for all eligible voters (with the exception of Norfolk Island
, where enrolment is voluntary). Voting is open to Australian citizens, and to British citizens who have been resident in Australia since before 1984 (about 9% of the electoral roll).
Currently the electoral roll merely records the name and address of the voter, although in previous years occupation was also recorded.
The register is compiled by the Australian Electoral Commission
(AEC) on a state/territory-wide basis, in alphabetical order of surname. Prior to 1988 electoral rolls were compiled by polling division and sub-division.
Until 1990, Lord Howe Island
was recorded within the Sydney polling division.
The Cocos Islands and Christmas Island
are today recorded on the Northern Territory
roll.
Since 21 July 2004 the Australian electoral roll has not been sold in any format. It has not been produced in printed format since 1985, when it changed to publication on microfiche. Today it is only produced in an electronic format, and only for viewing at an AEC office. Each office holds a copy of the electoral roll for the entire country.
These arrangements try to strike a balance between privacy of the voters and the publication of the roll, which is integral to the conduct of free and fair elections, enabling participants to verify the openness and accountability of the electoral process and object to the enrolment of any elector.
While all residents can be registered voting in Ireland depends on citizenship. All residents are entitled to vote in local authority elections. Irish and EU citizens may vote in European parliament elections. Irish and UK citizens may vote in elections to Dáil Éireann. Only Irish citizens may vote in elections for the President and in constitutional referendums.
The electoral register for elections to the six university seats in Seanad Éireann is maintained by the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin. Irish citizens that are graduates of these universities over 18 years of age may register. Voting is by postal vote and residence in the state is not required.
since the late nineteenth century, and some are available in public libraries for genealogical research
. Traditionally, the Māori indigenous people have had separate electoral registration; electoral rolls for the Māori were introduced in 1948. In 1975 electors of Māori descent were given the choice of whether to register on the Maori or "general" electoral registers.
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
in a particular area. The register facilitates the process of voting, helps to prevent fraud and may also be used to select people for jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
duty. Electoral registers are used in many democracies including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the right to register for voting extends to all British, Republic of IrelandIrish nationality law
Irish nationality law is the law of the Republic of Ireland governing citizenship. A person may be an Irish citizen through birth, descent, marriage to an Irish citizen or through naturalisation. Irish nationality law is currently contained in the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship...
, Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
citizens. British citizens living overseas may register for up to 15 years after they were last registered at an address in the UK. It is possible for someone to register before their 18th birthday as long as they will reach that age before the next revision of the register.
The register is compiled for each polling district, and held by the electoral registration office. In England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
this office is located at the local council (district, borough, or unitary level). In Scotland, the offices are sometimes located with councils, but may also be separate. Northern Ireland has a central Electoral Office run by the government.
At present, the register is compiled by sending an annual canvass form to every house (a process introduced by Representation of the People Act 1918
Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
). A fine of up to £1,000 (level 3 on the Standard scale
Standard scale
The standard scale is a system whereby financial criminal penalties in legislation have maximum levels set against a standard scale. Then, when inflation makes it necessary to increase the levels of the fines the legislators need to modify only the scale rather than each individual piece of...
) can be imposed for giving false information. Up to 2001, the revised register was published on 15 February each year, based on a qualifying date of 10 October, and a draft register published on 28 November the previous year. From 2001 as a result of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that sets out how political parties, elections and referendums are to be regulated in the United Kingdom...
, the annual 'revised' register is published on 1 December, although it is possible to update the register with new names each month between January and September.
The register has two formats. The full version of the register is available for supervised inspection by anyone, by legal right. It is this register that is used for voting and its supply and use is limited by law. Copies of this register are available to certain groups and individuals, such as credit reference agencies and political parties.
An 'edited' version of the register, which omits those people who have chosen to 'opt-out', can be purchased by anyone for any purpose.
The full register contains the following information:
- voter number (two letters indicating the polling district, followed by a number)
- voter's name and address
- date of birth (if 18th birthday falls within a year of the register is published)
- if the voter has requested a postal vote
- after an election, an indication of whether or not that voter cast their vote
Plans for a Coordinated Online Register of Electors
Coordinated Online Register of Electors
In the United Kingdom, the Co-ordinated On-line Record of Electors , previously the Co-ordinated On-line Register of Electors, is a central database which Government have proposed will enable authorised users a single access point to existing information stored on local electoral registers...
(CORE) are underway; the intention being to standardise local registers and permit central data access.
It has been suggested that in the future the register may be taken from the data that is to be held on the proposed Citizen Information Project
Citizen Information Project
In the United Kingdom, the Citizen Information Project was a plan by the Office for National Statistics to build a national population register....
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmhaff/uc130-vi/uc13002.htm, or on the National Identity Register http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmconst/uc243-i/uc24302.htm. In January 2005 the Constitutional Affairs Committee
Constitutional Affairs Committee
The Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee of the United Kingdom was a select committee of the House of Commons which looked into the expenditure, policy and administration of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and associated public bodies...
and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister began a joint inquiry into reforming the registration system.
Despite widespread calls for its introduction, the Electoral Administration Act 2006
Electoral Administration Act 2006
The Electoral Administration Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed on 11 July 2006. The Bill was amended during its passage through the House of Lords to require political parties to declare large loans; this followed the "Cash for Peerages" scandal...
did not provide for individual voter registration, on the justification that registration levels would fall. However, in July 2009, the Political Parties and Elections Act became law. The Act introduces a move from a system of household registration to a system of individual electoral registration in Great Britain. Electoral roll searches can be made at http://www.electoralrollsearch.com (This is not a free service or does it have anything to do with the UK Government)
United States
Electoral rolls, or poll books, have been used in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since the founding to determine voting eligibility. Modern poll books are a list of registered voters with eligibility to participate in an election. In the United States, the roll is usually managed by a local entity such as a county or parish. However, the data used for electoral rolls may be provided by state wide sources. While traditional poll books are printed voter rolls, more recently Electronic pollbook
Electronic pollbook
An electronic pollbook, also known as an e-poll book, is typically either hardware, software or a combination of the two that allows elections officials to review and/or process voter information during an election but does not actually count votes. This software or hardware is used in place of...
s have come into favor. Computerized electoral rolls allow for larger numbers of voters to be handled easily and allows for more flexibility in poll locations and the electoral process.
Australia
The earliest electoral rolls in Australia date from the 1840s, for the states of New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
Compilation of an annual electoral roll for the Commonwealth of Australia commenced following federation in 1901. For some years afterwards, the individual States also compiled State electoral rolls, but (with the exception of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
) these have been discontinued, and State and local elections are today based upon the Commonwealth electoral roll.
Enrolment is compulsory for all eligible voters (with the exception of Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, where enrolment is voluntary). Voting is open to Australian citizens, and to British citizens who have been resident in Australia since before 1984 (about 9% of the electoral roll).
Currently the electoral roll merely records the name and address of the voter, although in previous years occupation was also recorded.
The register is compiled by the Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...
(AEC) on a state/territory-wide basis, in alphabetical order of surname. Prior to 1988 electoral rolls were compiled by polling division and sub-division.
Until 1990, Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about from Norfolk Island. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of...
was recorded within the Sydney polling division.
The Cocos Islands and Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
are today recorded on the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
roll.
Since 21 July 2004 the Australian electoral roll has not been sold in any format. It has not been produced in printed format since 1985, when it changed to publication on microfiche. Today it is only produced in an electronic format, and only for viewing at an AEC office. Each office holds a copy of the electoral roll for the entire country.
These arrangements try to strike a balance between privacy of the voters and the publication of the roll, which is integral to the conduct of free and fair elections, enabling participants to verify the openness and accountability of the electoral process and object to the enrolment of any elector.
Ireland
The electoral register in Ireland is maintained by the local authorities and all residents that have reached 18 years of age in the state may register at the address in which they are 'ordinarily resident'. Each November a draft register is published after house-to-house enquiries. The register then comes into force the following February after time for appeals and additions. A supplementary register is published which allows voters make alterations (usually change of address or becoming 18 years of age) prior to voting day. Postal votes are restricted to certain occupations, students and the disabled or elderly resident away from their home. There is also provision for special voters that are usually physically disabled.While all residents can be registered voting in Ireland depends on citizenship. All residents are entitled to vote in local authority elections. Irish and EU citizens may vote in European parliament elections. Irish and UK citizens may vote in elections to Dáil Éireann. Only Irish citizens may vote in elections for the President and in constitutional referendums.
The electoral register for elections to the six university seats in Seanad Éireann is maintained by the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin. Irish citizens that are graduates of these universities over 18 years of age may register. Voting is by postal vote and residence in the state is not required.
New Zealand
Electoral rolls have been used in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
since the late nineteenth century, and some are available in public libraries for genealogical research
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
. Traditionally, the Māori indigenous people have had separate electoral registration; electoral rolls for the Māori were introduced in 1948. In 1975 electors of Māori descent were given the choice of whether to register on the Maori or "general" electoral registers.
See also
- Australia
- Elections in AustraliaElections in AustraliaAustralia elects a legislature the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia using various electoral systems: see Australian electoral system. The Parliament consists of two chambers:...
- Australian electoral systemAustralian electoral systemThe Australian electoral system has evolved over nearly 150 years of continuous democratic government, and has a number of distinctive features including compulsory voting, preferential voting and the use of proportional voting to elect the upper house, the Australian Senate.- Compulsory voting...
- Australian Electoral CommissionAustralian Electoral CommissionThe Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...
- Elections in Australia
- New Zealand
- New Zealand electionsNew Zealand electionsMembers of New Zealand's House of Representatives, commonly called "Parliament", normally gain their parliamentary seats through nationwide general elections, or in by-elections. General elections normally occur at least every three years in New Zealand, and operate using the Mixed Member...
- Electoral system of New ZealandElectoral system of New ZealandIn 1994 New Zealand officially adopted mixed member proportional representation as its electoral system for the House of Representatives after many years of first-past-the-post voting. The first MMP election was held in 1996....
- New Zealand elections
- United Kingdom
- Elections in the United KingdomElections in the United KingdomThere are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: United Kingdom general elections, elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, elections to the European Parliament, local elections and mayoral elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday...
- Elections in the United Kingdom