Annual Review of Electoral Register 2024

Mole Valley District Council will be commencing its annual statutory review of the Electoral Register from August 2024 to ensure that the information held is accurate. A revised Electoral Register will be published on 3 February 2025 when the review is complete.

At the start of the review, the Electoral Register is sent securely to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) where each entry will be matched against their records.

If everyone registered to vote at a property are successfully matched, the property is assigned to Route 1.

If anyone is not successfully matched, the property will be assigned to Route 2.

Do you need to respond?

We will write to your property, regardless of the route it is assigned to, and you will be able to check the information currently held on the Electoral Register. Contact will be made by post, and by email and SMS (where we hold these details).

Please read your correspondence and check the details held for your property, as that will determine whether you need to respond.

Please note that all properties assigned to Route 2 have a legal obligation to respond, even if the details for the property are correct.

Forms will be addressed to the occupier but anyone in the household can respond. Please ensure your respond as promptly as you can as this will prevent us from sending any reminders to you.

If you receive an email…

Emails will be sent on behalf of the Electoral Registration Officer and will be sent via the Gov.Notify service. The sender’s email address will appear as:

mole.valley.district.council.electoral.
services@notifications.service.gov.uk

If you are unsure if the email is genuine, please do not click on any links and contact us. We will be able to verify if we have sent an email to you and the action you should take.

If you receive an SMS message…

SMS messages will be sent where we hold a valid mobile phone number. Messages will be sent via the Gov.Notify service and will display as GOVUK as the sender. The message itself will have ‘Mole Valley District Council – Electoral Services’ as the opening sentence. These messages will not contain any links, but will advise you to expect a form or email, which will contain instructions on how to check your details and respond.

If you receive an SMS message and are unsure if it is genuine, please do not click any links (if present) and contact us. We will be able to verify if we have sent any SMS messages to you and the action you should take.

Respond online

The easiest and most efficient way to respond is online. You will need your two-part security code to this. This can found in the email or form you have been sent. Respond online on behalf of your household.

Respond by phone – No Changes Only

Call 0800 884 0701 and, when prompted, enter your two-part security code.

Respond by text – No Changes Only

Test NOCHANGE followed by your two-part security code to 80212. Only use this method if you do not have any changes to make.

If nobody is eligible to vote, please include a reason after your security code, e.g. empty, business, 2nd home, none, other).

Respond by post – if you have received a form

Please amend the form with any changes you need to make, if necessary, and return via post using the reply-paid envelope provided.

What is the purpose of the annual review?

The annual review allows residents to inform the electoral services office about:

  • anyone who lives at a property and should be registered to vote
  • anyone that is no longer a resident at a property
  • new residents at the address
  • people who will become 18 the following year
  • any corrections or changes needed to residents’ details

Not being included on the register means you will not be able to vote in future elections, and may also affect your credit rating.

Register to vote

If anyone at your property is not registered to vote, as well as adding them to the household response, they must also complete an individual application to register to vote. The easiest way to do this is online via www.gov.uk/registertovote

Why you should register

If you are not registered you will not be able to vote at the time of an election. The Register of Electors is also used to confirm an individual’s address, especially if they are applying for credit such as a mortgage, personal loan or even a mobile phone.

Who can be included on the register?

You need to be included on the register if you are:

  • aged 18 and over
  • a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
  • a 16- or 17-year-old

 Changes to eligibility criteria for European Citizens

Eligibility criteria for citizens from member countries of the European Union (EU) changed on 7 May 2024, as a result of changes implemented from the Elections Act 2022.

An individual can register and vote in Local Government Elections if they are:

  • a qualifying EU citizen*
  • an EU citizen with retained rights**

*A qualifying EU citizen is anyone who is a citizen of a county with whom the UK has a bilateral Voting and Candidacy Rights treaty. Currently, this applies to citizens of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

**An EU citizen with retained rights is anyone who is a citizen of an EU member country that does not have a bilateral Voting and Candidacy Rights treaty with the UK, and, has been legally resident in the UK since before the UK left the EU on 31/12/2020.

For more information

Please visit www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk

Or contact us at:

Electoral Services
Mole Valley District Council
Pippbrook
Dorking
Surrey
RH4 1SJ

Tel:  01306 879198
Web: www.molevalley.gov.uk
Email:
electoral.registration@molevalley.gov.uk
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