Running electoral registration - England

How should an application from a member of HM forces be processed?

Acknowledging applications

There is no legal requirement for an application to be acknowledged although you do have discretion to send an acknowledgement if you wish. In all cases, you are required to send a confirmation if the application is successful, as set out below.

Verifying applications

All applications and declarations should be processed and the applicant’s identity verified as soon as possible after receipt.

If you receive an application where the qualifying address falls outside your area you should forward it to the relevant ERO without delay.

Members of the armed forces whose personal identifiers fail the DWP match must provide an attestation as to their identity

You must write to the applicant informing them that it has not been possible to verify their identity and ask them to supply an attestation.
 
You may wish to create a form which contains the necessary legal statements and requirements for the attestation. Alternatively, you may wish to set this detail out in the letter to the applicant. In all cases, you must communicate the legislative requirements for an attestation.1
 
The attestation must:

• be in writing
• confirm that the applicant is the person stated in the service voter’s application
• be signed by an officer of the armed forces who is not the spouse, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild of the applicant
• state the full name, address and rank of the person signing the attestation and the service (whether naval, military or air forces) in which the attestor serves
• state the date on which it is made

Persons attesting armed forces applications do not have to be registered to vote and may attest an unlimited number of applications.

You may wish to set a deadline date for the applicant to respond; this will be helpful when deciding to reject an application because no response has been received. The time given to applicants to respond is at the discretion of the ERO; however, it should allow the applicant reasonable time to source and return their attestation, bearing in mind that armed forces electors may be deployed to overseas locations.

Spouses or civil partners of members of the armed forces whose personal identifiers fail the DWP match must provide documentary evidence in support of their application

You must write to the applicant informing them that it has not been possible to verify their identity and asking them to supply documentary evidence. This must be a copy of the information / photograph page of their passport or both sides of their EEA identity card, certified by an officer of the armed forces who is not the applicant’s spouse or civil partner.
 
You may wish to set a deadline date for the applicant to respond; this will be helpful when deciding to reject an application because no response has been received. The time given to applicants to respond is at the discretion of the ERO; however, it should allow the applicant reasonable time to source and return their attestation, bearing in mind that armed forces electors may be deployed to overseas locations.  

Confirming applications and declarations

If you have determined an applicant is entitled to be registered, you must confirm to them in writing that their registration application has been successful.2
 
You should also include alongside the confirmation letter, information on any absent voting arrangements that are in place. If no arrangements are in place you should make clear what the absent voting options are. 

If you have rejected a registration application, you must notify the applicant and inform them of the reasons why.3  

Where an existing HM forces elector has successfully renewed their declaration, there is no requirement to send them a confirmation notice. You may, however, still decide to confirm their renewal has been successful, which you could do by e-mail. This communication could also include information on when their declaration will expire, how and when they will next be reminded to renew it, what absent voting arrangements they have in place and, if they have none, information on absent voting options.

You should make the elector aware of the general timings for dispatching postal votes ahead of an election and could advise the elector to appoint a proxy as an alternative if it is not realistic for their postal ballot pack to be dispatched, completed and returned before the close of poll. It is, of course, the elector’s choice as to which method of voting they prefer, but it is important that they can make an informed decision. Further information can be found in our guidance on absent voting.