Running electoral registration - Wales

How to manage pre-attainers

EROs will sometimes hold registration information from those who are not yet old enough to be added to the register as an attainer. These are known as pre-attainers and are kept as pending electors until they are eligible to be added as an attainer.

If a pre-attainer has completed an application to register prior to the franchise change but will only be added to the register following the implementation of the new requirements, they would need to go through the ECR process at the point they are due to be added to the register if that point is on or before 31 January 2025. If they are due to be added after 31 January 2025 you will need to use your powers to ask for further information to satisfy the historical residency question. 

You are not required to make an attempted personal contact  where an elector is aged under 16.1   
 

How to manage special category electors    

All registered citizens of the EU (excluding citizens of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus) including those registered as special category electors must have been reviewed under the new criteria by the 31 January 2025.2   Where you have not been able to determine the special category elector’s eligibility using the data-based review, you must review their eligibility by correspondence review. 

This includes electors registered by means of a declaration of local connection or a service declaration. 

The exception to this is relevant citizens of the union who are registered anonymously. You may review their eligibility either via correspondence review or the renewal/re-application process where you deem it appropriate.3   

Anonymous electors will be required to answer the new historical residency question as part of their re-application. 
 

Where an anonymous elector renewal or reapplication is due before the end of 31 January 2025

Where an anonymous elector’s registration is due to expire before the end of the implementation period, 31 January 2025, you may use the renewal/re-application process in place of the correspondence review where you deem it appropriate.

Where you opt to use the declaration renewal reminder cycle instead of the ECR correspondence review, you could send out additional information about the franchise change and the significance of the changes to the renewal declaration together with the renewal reminders to accompany the usual declaration renewal, helping electors to understand how the changes may affect them.

The renewal/re-application will provide you with the information that you require to determine that elector’s eligibility to remain registered under the new criteria. 
 

Where an anonymous elector renewal or reapplication is due after 31 January 2025

Where an anonymous elector’s entry on the register is due to expire after 31 January 2025, and you are unable to determine the voter’s eligibility to remain registered using the data-based review, you must review the elector using the prescribed correspondence review.4