Running electoral registration - Wales

An applicant may choose to provide documentary evidence of their own previous residence at a qualifying address. Our guidance on Acceptable evidence for applications made under the previously registered or previously resident condition has more information about the type of documentary evidence that can be provided.

If you are unable to be satisfied by documentary evidence, you may require the applicant to provide an attestation. Our guidance on How to use the address attestation process for an overseas elector application has more information.

In addition to this, applicants who were younger than 18 when they left the UK may make an application under the previously resident condition by demonstrating their connection to their parent or guardian who must have been previously resident at their qualifying address on the last day. 

The applicant may include in their application:

• the full name of a parent or guardian of the applicant who was resident at the relevant address on the last day
  • if the full name of a parent is provided, the applicant must also provide a copy (or original, if appropriate) of their own birth certificate which includes their date of birth and their parent’s name
  • if the full name of a guardian is provided, you must request that they provide a copy (or original, if appropriate) of evidence that confirms that the person named was their guardian when they left the UK
• in respect of each parent or guardian, an indication that their parent or guardian was registered at the applicant’s qualifying address

Where an applicant provides a birth certificate or other documentary evidence demonstrating their connection to a parent or guardian and their name on that evidence differs from their current name (or their name at the point they were last registered, which will be supplied under a separate declaration requirement), you should require the applicant to provide an explanation as to the difference in name (if known). 

Where an applicant provides documentary evidence and the name of any nominated parent or guardian differs from the parent or guardian’s name at the point the applicant was last resident, you should require an explanation as to the difference in name (if known). 

You should use the information provided to carry out an electoral register check at the qualifying address to verify if the parent or guardian was registered there.

If you can locate the parent/guardian’s entry on the electoral register at the qualifying address and you are satisfied that the documentary evidence demonstrates the applicant’s connection to the named parent/guardian you can process the application.

If you are not able to find an applicant’s parent or guardian’s entry on an electoral register at the relevant address it doesn’t necessarily mean that the applicant was not resident. 

You may request further documentary evidence of applicant’s own previous residence at the qualifying address. Or if you are unable to be satisfied that the applicant’s previous residence at the qualifying address can be demonstrated via a register check for the parent/guardian or by documentary evidence, you may require the applicant to provide an attestation.