Register to vote

(Date of issue: Wednesday, 10 September 2008)

The annual electoral register update is underway and has resulted in registration forms being sent to all 49,000 households in the Carlisle City Council area.

Electors have the opportunity to re-register using a Freephone line or by visiting www.registerbyinternet.com/carlisle .Both services are available until the end of November.

Households whose electoral details remain unchanged can dial the free telephone number or visit the dedicated website instead of returning their form. Households wishing to add or change names on the register will need to follow the usual procedure and complete the registration form and return it to the Electoral Registration Officer at the Civic Centre, Carlisle.

All pre-printed registration forms include a two-part security code, which will need to be keyed-in as part of the registration process. The Freephone service is a fully automated touch-tone system and, like the internet service, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Both systems also accommodate the new ‘opt-out’ rules (introduced in 2002), allowing electors to add or remove their names from the edited version of the register, which is available for general sale. The systems also allow users to request postal vote application forms.

The register being updated this autumn will be used at all elections and any referendums in the City Council’s area during the period 1 December 2008 to 30 November 2009. This will include the European Parliamentary Elections on 4 June 2009 and next year’s County Council elections on a date to be confirmed (although they may be combined with the European elections).