The electoral register is the list of all eligible residents living in Cambridge who are entitled to vote.
You can register to vote in Cambridge if:
- you are aged 16 or over (although you will not be able to vote until your 18 birthday);
- you are a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
- you are a citizen of the European Union
Please be aware you are not automatically registered to vote, even if you pay council tax.
Every year between August and November we send each household in the city a registration
form so that we can update and publish a revised register by 1 December.
If your details change at other times of the
year, you can make an application under the rolling registration scheme.
Each person wishing to change their address or make an amendment to their name must complete a voter registration form (PDF). The register will be updated on the first working day of the month, dependent on the date we receive your form.
Deadlines for 2008 - 2009 are:
| Last date for application: | Your details are updated on: |
|---|---|
| Thursday 11 December 2008 | Friday 2 January 2009 |
| Friday 9 January 2009 | Monday 2 February 2009 |
| Friday 6 February 2009 | Monday 2 March 2009 |
| Tuesday 10 March 2009 | Wednesday 1 April 2009 |
| Tuesday 7 April 2009 | Friday 1 May 2009 |
| Tuesday 19 May 2009* | Thursday 28 May 2009 |
| Tuesday 9 June 2009 | Wednesday 1 July 2009 |
| Friday 10 July 2009 | Monday 3 August 2009 |
| Monday 10 August 2009 | Tuesday 1 September 2009 |
*Last chance to register to vote before elections to Cambridgeshire county council and the European Parliament on Thursday 4 June 2009.
If you supply us with a previous address, we will tell the electoral registration officer you have moved so that your details can be removed from that register.
Applications for registration (except anonymous registrations) are open to inspection and can be objected to by any elector registered in the city area. Objections must be made in writing, giving details of the objection and addressed to the electoral registration officer.
If there are no objections to your application for registration, we will write to you with your new registration details.
Further information on registering to vote, including copies of electoral registration forms in various languages, can be found at the Electoral Commission’s About My Vote website.
Don’t forget
If you think you will be unable to get to your polling station when an election is called you can apply for a postal and proxy vote and that we can help you with voting if you are disabled and require help.
If you are a British national living overseas, you can register to vote up to 15 years from the date you were last registered in the UK.
If you are a member of the armed forces, you can register under a special three-year arrangement.
If you are a student
Students can chose to register at either their university/college address or their home address.
If you are in student accommodation, your university or college will provide us with your details and you should check with them that this has been done. If you live elsewhere in the city, you should ensure that you complete the registration form that we send to your address.
Who has your details
There are two versions of the electoral register, the full and the edited.
The full register is used for voting purposes, credit referencing, jury summoning and for the prevention and detection of crime. The edited register is the version that is available for sale and could be passed onto marketing companies.
If you do not wish your name to be passed on, you should ensure that you tick the box asking if you want to be opted-out.
Since 2007, you can in certain circumstances register anonymously so your details cannot be viewed on the full electoral register.
For further help and advice contact us, elections@cambridge.gov.uk or call our helpline 01223 457048