What are electoral registers?

Electoral registers are lists of the names of individuals entitled to vote at an election. They are often also referred to as electoral rolls or lists, or voters' registers, rolls or lists. The formal name is 'Register of Electors'
The registers are compiled by local authorities
In the printed registers the electors are listed by address within electoral wards, not alphabetically by name. However, you can search recent registers by name on Internet or CD-ROM databases made available by companies
The 2002 electoral register was the last one to be produced in a single full version. Since then, two versions of each register have been produced: an 'edited register', from which individuals can choose to opt out, and a 'full register', which is less widely available
For more details of the history and content of electoral registers, see the British Library's page United Kingdom electoral registers and their uses
See also Poll books, for related lists from the 18th and 19th centuries
Return to Electoral registers for more information

Page last updated: 27th August 2008