Make sure you respond to electoral registration forms

Herefordshire residents are being urged to make sure they’ve responded to Electoral Registration forms – otherwise they may find they can’t open a bank account, get a credit card or even get a mobile phone contract.

The forms were sent out to around 80,000 households at the beginning of September. Herefordshire Council needs to know if any changes need to be made to the information it holds so it can publish the new Electoral Register in December.

The good news is that if nothing has changed since last year, you can let the Council know either over the telephone or by going to the Register of Electors page of the website.

The Register is used by companies and organisations which use the information for credit checks and to verify personal details required when people open bank accounts, seek credit and want to enter various kinds of contracts.

“We know autumn is a very busy time of the year for everyone,” said Colette Maund, the Electoral Registration Services Manager.

“Summer holidays are over, children are back at school, older children are off to university, gardeners are preparing for winter.

“The list of activities goes on and on – but we’d ask people to take just a few minutes to either complete the forms and return them or to get in touch by phone or via our website,” added Colette.

“Members of staff in the Electoral Registration Office have already begun sorting through the enormous amount of information that people have already started sending back.

“Many people do not realise that they are required, by law, to fill in these forms every year.

 “This year we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for people in Herefordshire to register.  Electors can return their forms by post in the Freepost envelopes provided, or, if there are no changes to the previous year’s information, they can use their phones or the Internet to let us know.

“We process an awful lot of forms during the autumn and a great deal of that information could be registered by phone or Internet. Returning the forms by post costs the Council more money both in postage and in staff time,” she added.

So, the message that Colette wants to send out is that people should make sure they register and if possible they should use the Freephone number 0800 197 4915 or see the Register of Electors page of the website.