Who can Register?

You can register if you are 16 or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18)

A British, Irish Republic or Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of a European Union country living in the UK or a citizen of the Channel Islands or Isle of Man living in the UK. Find out if your nationality qualifies. 

You need to register at the address you are living at unless you are overseas, in the Armed Forces or a Crown Servant. If you are a British citizen resident overseas or in the Armed Services or are a Crown Servant serving overseas, find out about registering to vote.

How to Apply

There are two ways to register. Either complete the Register of Electors form delivered to your property between August and November and your details will be added to the register when it is published annually on the 1 December. The information published is based on where you are resident on the 15 October. Forms for each annual canvass are sent out in August (although you will receive reminders if this is not returned) and you can either post back the completed form or if there are no changes to the pre-printed personal details you can confirm this by using the internet or telephone registration services the council provides at this time.

Alternately, if your name does not appear on the Register of Electors, when it is published in December, and you are resident at a household within the Ashford Borough Council area, you can complete an electoral registration form for the next monthly update. This procedure takes place every month (except for October to December). This is ideal if you have missed the opportunity to register for December or have moved into your property after this time.

Find out the monthly updates publication dates and when you need to return the form by.

Download an electoral registration form and apply to be added to the next monthly update. Only one person can apply per form and each person must sign their own form, someone else cannot do it for you.

The Edited Register – What is it?

When completing the form you can also have some choice over who can buy details of your name and address. There are two versions of the electoral register, the full register and the edited register. The full register is used for elections, preventing and detecting crime and checking applications for credit. It lists the names of everyone who is entitled to vote in the Ashford Borough Council area. The edited register is available for general sale and can be used for any purpose including commercial activities such as marketing. Your details will appear on the full register but you can choose not have your name showing on the edited register.

What Happens Next?

We will write to you to acknowledge receipt of your application, usually on the day it is received. Provided there are no objections then your name will be added to the register for the beginning of the following month.

Once the update for that month has been published, you will then receive a letter confirming that your name has been added to the register for that month. We will also inform your previous local authority that you are now registered in this area, provided that you have given us details of your previous address.

Find out more about how to vote