Running electoral registration - Wales

Supply of the full register by sale

Specified organisations are entitled to a copy of the full register, any notice of alteration, and the list of overseas of electors, on payment of the relevant prescribed fee (unless that organisation is entitled to a copy free of charge).1  

Fees

The relevant prescribed fees are:2  

• For sale of the full register and the notices of alteration:  
  • in data format, £20 plus £1.50 for each 1,000 entries (or remaining part of 1,000 entries) in it
  • in printed format, £10 plus £5 for each 1,000 entries (or remaining part of 1,000 entries) in it
• For sale of the list of overseas electors: 
  • in data format, £20 plus £1.50 for each 100 entries (or remaining part of 100 entries) in it
  • in printed format, £10 plus £5 for each 100 entries (or remaining part of 100 entries) in it

The £20 charge for a data copy or the £10 charge for a paper copy applies to the whole of each register that the ERO maintains and the legislation does not permit EROs to calculate the fees separately in relation to polling districts covered by the register. So, for example, if you maintain the registers for two parliamentary constituencies, the £20 charge applies separately to the register for each constituency.

The legislation does not permit the charging of any other administration or additional fees.

The register must be supplied on receipt of a valid request, providing that the ERO is satisfied that the applicant is entitled to receive the register. Failure to supply the electoral register when required may have an impact on individual electors as the information is used by credit reference agencies for vetting applications for credit.

Charges for monthly notices of alteration

The same principle applies to each notice of alteration. 

If a request is received to buy a full register and any notices of alteration which have been published before the request is received, the register and notices are treated as the same document for the purposes of the fee calculation. This means that the £20 fee covers the full register and all the requested notices of alteration that have already been published. 

Where a request is received which includes any notices of alteration that are due to be published after the request is received, the £20 fee will be applied each time a subsequent notice of alteration is produced, as per the request. 

Recording sales of the register

You should keep a record of the transactions of sales of the register so that the revenue gained, alongside the number of registers sold, can be made available for public scrutiny if so required. You should redact any personal information when the record is made available for public scrutiny.

Use of ‘Z’ markers

All copies of the full register that have been sold must have the letter ‘Z’ placed against the name of any person whose name is not included in the edited version of the register that is published at that time.3  

We have produced a cover sheet for the sale of the electoral register which sets out how the register may be used, the penalty for misuse, and that the data should be securely destroyed once the purpose for which it has been supplied has finished.