Electoral registration

The Register of Electors is the list of everyone in the borough who is registered to vote. You can only vote if your name is on the Register.

Register of electors 2012

The revised Register of electors 2012 was published on 1 December 2011.

After this date, and up to September 2012, we will operate the system of rolling registration. On the first working day of each month, Electoral Services publish an alterations list to the current register. This means that if you change your address we can send you a form to transfer your registration to your new address. Amendments can also be made if your change your name, become eligible to vote for the first time or if your existing records are incorrect.

The timetable for rolling registration is:

(*) This is the deadline for registering to vote at the Greater London Authority (GLA) elections that are due to take place on May 3 2012.

Please note: There are no monthly updates after August 10 until December when our annual audit takes place.

Why you should register

An election or referenda can be called at a month’s notice, so it is important that your details on the register are accurate. You should inform us every time you move home. If you do not register you cannot vote.

Having your name on the Register of Electors will also help you in opening a bank or building society account, obtaining a loan, mortgage, credit card, store card or mobile phone.

Lenders now routinely check the Register as a way of confirming applicants’ details.

Who can register to vote

In order to be included in the Tower Hamlets Register of Electors, you must be:

• 17 years old (you must be at least 18 years of age to vote on polling day); and
• a British, Irish, Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the European Union member state residing in Tower Hamlets. Please click here to download a list of eligible countries (pdf, 22 kb).

If you are a British citizen based overseas, a Crown servant, British Council employee or a member of the armed forces, you need to complete a specified voter registration form. See a list of all electoral registration forms.

If you do not have a fixed address this may be because you are a homeless person, a person in a mental health hospital or a person remanded in custody, you can still register to vote. To register, you need to complete the declaration of local connection form.

Students living away from home may register to vote at both their term time and home address.

What happens next

When we receive your completed application form, the Electoral Service Office will process it and send you a letter of acknowledgement. There is a five day objection period where anyone can object to your name being added to the Register of Electors. If this happens we will inform you.

Provided no objection is made to your application, your name will be added on the next Register update. 

Two versions of the electoral register

The Electoral Services Office is required by law to keep two versions of the electoral register - the full register and the edited register. 

The Full Register

The Full Register lists the name and address of everyone who is registered to vote. By law, only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register and they can only use it for specified purposes which include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and credit checks.  The full list of these persons and the purposes are given in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulation 2002 (SI 2002 No.1871). It is a criminal offence for them to supply or sell on a copy of the full register to anyone except as allowed by the Regulations.

A copy of the full register is available for inspection, by appointment and under supervision, at the Town Hall, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. The information contained in the register may be copied only by taking handwritten notes.

The Edited Register

The Edited version of the Register is available for general sales and can be bought by anyone who requests a copy and they may use it for any purpose such as commercial and marketing activities. The edited register omits the names and addresses of electors who have requested for their details to be excluded from this register.

You can view the Edited Register at any Idea store, one stop shop or library in the borough.

You can choose to opt-out from the edited version of the Electoral Register by ticking the relevant box when completing a voter registration form. 

How to register

You need to complete and return a voter registration form.

• Download a voter registration form   

If you require any forms in large print, Braille or other languages please contact the Electoral Services Office.

Residents with learning disabilities can visit Promote the vote website which provides information about how to register to vote and the process of voting.

Further information

Answers to some frequently asked questions

How to contact us

Electoral Services
Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG

Show map

Tel: 020 7364 0872
Fax: 020 7364 3758
Email: electoralservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk