Wokingham

It’s your vote, don’t lose it! This is the message from Wokingham District Council as residents are being advised to make sure that they are on the annual register of electors, and this year it’s even easier!

The Wokingham register lists everyone who is eligible to vote at elections. Anyone who is not registered cannot vote and may also have difficulty obtaining credit or making other financial arrangements. This year, residents will have the opportunity to register by telephone, by returning the completed form through the post or via the internet.

The annual registration forms will be delivered week commencing September 1 to the 60,000 households in the Wokingham district, and the forms will be addressed to “The Occupier”. The forms will be used to compile the 2007 electoral register, and only people listed on the register will be entitled to vote in local, general elections and referendums between December 1, 2006 and November 30, 2007.

The automated response systems make replying simple and Wokingham district council is offering the service again this year. If residents do not have any changes to the details given on the form and these will remain the same until October 15, 2006, they can register online or by freephone (if the telephone has a * key), using the security codes given on the form. Both these services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until the end of the canvass period.

If residents have changes to make, for example, because they have moved home, they can cross through the names of the previous occupants and write in the new names on the form and return it to the council in the pre-paid envelope. Wokingham Residents have until November 17, 2006 to register their details, but a quick reply reduces costs and saves a personal visit from a canvasser.

People whose details change after October 15, 2006, can apply to have the register amended when it is updated on January 2, 2007. This is the only time of year that it is possible to remove someone else from the register if they no longer live at the address, so it is important to correct the details on the canvass form.

Alison Wood, Wokingham electoral services manager, said: “No one is automatically registered even if they pay council tax, so with 18 of the 54 seats on Wokingham District Council up for election on May 3, 2007, it is important to ensure that all eligible residents are registered to vote.

“The district council is very keen to ensure that residents can have their say at the ballot box. We have taken steps to make this as easy as possible, including offering our freephone and internet registration services.”

There are two versions of the register. The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote and is used for electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking identity when applying for credit. The edited register, which can be bought by anyone, leaves out the names and addresses of those electors who have ticked on the form to be excluded from it.

Residents who do not receive a form by mid September or who need more information are asked to contact Wokingham District Council’s electoral services on (0118) 974 6522.

Wokingham District Council