Running electoral registration - England

Should applicants submit copies or original documents?

In the first instance, you should request that the applicant provide photocopies of the evidence. Any copies of documents provided by applicants or taken by you of original documents should be stored securely in the same way as application forms.

Applicants may bring either copies or original documents to your office in person if they don’t want to send them through the post.

You must be satisfied that the documents or copies provided to you appear to be genuine. Where you have a doubt as to whether a copy is genuine or where the copy is of such poor quality that you cannot make an assessment of the document, you may ask the applicant to present the original document(s) in person at your office or to send original documents to you to be copied and returned. You should be aware that you would become responsible for the secure transit of the document in the latter case.
 
Where you have doubt as to whether an original document is genuine, you may ask the applicant to provide alternative documentary evidence in the first instance. Where alternative documentary evidence is not available, you should direct the applicant to the attestation process or reject the application.

Where documentary evidence does not appear to be genuine, you should advise the applicant of the penalties for supplying false information and inform your police Single Point of Contact (SPOC) that false information may have been supplied.