Electoral Registration Changes – Got Your Letter?

All Wrexham residents are starting to receive a letter through the post telling them about the biggest change to the electoral registration system in nearly 100 years.

Wrexham Council’s Electoral Registration Officer is writing to 104,000 people between the 4th and 13th of August.

The letter is explain that a new, more secure, system of individual electoral registration is being introduced to replace the old Victorian system where the ‘head of household’ registered everyone living in a property. Now, each individual will be responsible for registering themselves.

Many residents will automatically move onto the new electoral register. However, some will need to take action to join or remain on it, which they will now also be able to do for the first time by registering quickly and easily online.

Wrexham’s Electoral Registration Officer, and Chief Executive, Dr Helen Paterson, said: “Residents will receive a letter that will explain the change to the electoral registration system. Look out for the letter as it will tell you if you have been automatically transferred to the new register or not.

“If you have not been transferred, you will need to provide some additional information and the letter will tell you exactly what you need to do.”

The letters that are being sent have already been received by some, with a thread appearing on the Wrexham.com Forums – with one poster querying the costs involved to notify those who have no changes.

The notices being sent out also mention the ‘Open Register’ as well as the ‘Electoral Register’.

The Electoral Register is the one used to check if you are able to vote, and used for detecting fraud and allocating jury service and the like.

The Open Register is a sub section of the Electoral Register and is for sale to anyone who wants it – the letters being sent out should let you know if you are on this and how to opt out if you so wish.

For more information, visit www.gov.uk/yourvotematters.

Anybody who does not receive a letter should contact the council’s election team on 01978 292020 or email [email protected]