Electoral roll: your full guide to getting on and updating the register

Whether it’s a general election or local councillor vote, being registered on the Electoral Roll is vital. Not only does it give you a say in how the country is run, but it’s also used as a form of verification for various things like credit checks and bank account applications.

What is the Electoral Roll?

The UK Electoral Roll – sometimes referred to as the electoral register - is a list of all the people in the country who are allowed to vote in elections. These can be the UK General Elections, local council elections or byelections.

The list is published annually, but is updated with new entries monthly. Legally, everyone needs to be on the electoral roll when asked to register. This is usually when people turn 16. Though they don’t need to have their details shared. If you are not registered and are asked to provide electoral roll details by a government body, you could be fined.

Details you need to include when applying to be on the Electoral Roll are your name, current address, date of birth.

How much does electoral roll affect credit

The Electoral Roll is used during credit checks. Being registered on the Electoral Roll does improve your credit score. It can also help speed up applications for credit as it can be used as a source for address.

Types of Electoral Roll

There are two main versions of the Electoral Roll:

• Open (edited) Register: This version is publicly available and can be sold to various companies so they can check names, details etc. At ukphonebook.com, this is the version we use. You can choose to opt out of this database using the government’s website.
• Full Register: This includes everyone’s details who is eligible to vote but is not accessible to anyone but the government. This version can only be used for electoral admin, political campaigning activities, preventing and detecting crime, checking applications for loans or credit, and jury summoning in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

How we use the Electoral Roll
At ukphonebook.com, we use the open register to power our electoral roll search. If you’re trying to find someone on the electoral roll, you can use this search function as well as our Find a Person search.

How to get on the electoral roll in the UK

You can register to get on the electoral roll at any time. Though usually most people register when prompted to register during elections.

The easiest way to get on the electoral register is using the government’s register to vote service. Most people are registered at a single address, but occasionally you can register at two addresses, such as if you’re a student who has a term time and holiday address.

In 2014, the Electoral Register process was updated so that each individual was responsible for their own Electoral Roll registration. Previously, one person per household was in charge of registering the whole household.

Once you’ve completed you registration, you’ll appear on the next electoral roll after it is updated. This happens monthly. For credit reports, it usually takes 30 days to appear on your credit report.

If you want to take your name off the open register, the changes will be reflected after the monthly update.

How to change address on electoral roll in UK

It's worth checking the electoral register to see if your details are up to date. It’s important that they are as if you’re still registered under an old address, your voting cards might be sent their and you’ll miss your chance to vote at elections. It can also cause issues with credit reports, if your electoral roll address doesn’t match with your bank details.

To change details, visit your local Electoral Registration office, or simply email or call your local council expressing your wise to change your address on the electoral roll.

UK boundary changes 2023

In 2023, the UK proposed new boundaries for its voting regions. While this won’t affect you day to day, it will impact the ward you appear under in ukphonebook.com and which voting area you are registered in.

The boundary change recommendations were released in June 2023, after a review of the boundaries that began in January 2021. The results were submitted by the boundary commissions to parliament on July 1, 2023. The review looked at geographical considerations, boundaries of existing constituencies, local ties, and public consultations.

The changes will result in certain areas getting more seats in the House of Commons. The East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West will gain seats. The North East, North West and West Midlands will lose seats. Yorkshire and the Humber will stay the same. Of the 533 existing constituencies in England, only 55 will stay as they are.

While some boundaries might changes, the names shouldn’t. The review recommended retaining existing constituency names where possible. Any new names were based on the main population centres within the constituency.

The changes will be implemented for the 2025 General Election, and until then, no MP will face a change in constituency.

For more details, visit each countries boundary review page:

• England: https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/
• Scotland: https://www.bcomm-scotland.independent.gov.uk/
• Wales: https://bcomm-wales.gov.uk/
• Northern Ireland: https://www.boundarycommission.org.uk/