Libraries and leisure

Current Electoral Registers

The current electoral registers (sometimes known as electoral rolls, as the electoral roll or as the voter's list) for Hertfordshire are compiled by the Electoral Registration Offices of the District Councils.

The electoral register lists the name and address of everyone who is currently registered to vote. By law, your District Council has to make the electoral register available for anyone to look at.

Previously, any company, organisation or person could buy a copy of the register. But the government has changed the law so that now you have some choice about who can buy details of your name and address. Under the changes there are two versions of the register: the full version and the edited version. Both may be seen at the local District Council offices.

When you fill in your electoral registration form you are able to choose whether you want your details excluded from the edited register.

Full Register

The full register has the names and addresses of everyone currently registered to vote and is updated every month. Anyone can look at it, but copies can only be supplied for certain purposes, such as elections and law enforcement. Credit reference agencies are also allowed to use the full register, but only to check your name and address if you are applying for credit, and to help stop ‘money laundering’. Anyone who has a copy of the full register will be committing a criminal offence if they unlawfully pass on information from it. You do not have a choice about your name and address being on this register. Copies of this register can only be seen at the local District Council office.

Edited Register

The edited register is available for general sale and can be used for any purpose. You can choose not to be on it. It will be kept separate from the full register and updated every month. The edited register can be bought by any person, company or organisation and could be used for different purposes such as checking your identity and commercial activities such as marketing. Copies of the edited version of the register can be seen at the local District Council office. Holdings of the current edited electoral register in Hertfordshire Libraries vary according to the supply policies adopted by the ten District Councils in Hertfordshire.

To check whether your local library holds the current edited register for your area please click on the “Libraries in Hertfordshire” signpost on the right.