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The Importance Of Registering On The Electoral Roll

Published: 04 November 2013
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Author: Carl Shave - CEO and co-founder
Last updated: 14Oct2024

If you’ve been having trouble obtaining any sort of credit, including loans, credit cards and – of course – mortgages, you may not realise that there is something very simple that you can do to help. That simple thing is to enroll yourself on the electoral register. In case you weren’t aware, this is a list of people in a district who are registered to vote in elections. You must be registered in order to cast votes in local and general elections and, unlike what many people think, you are not automatically registered. But even if you’re not interested in politics, enrolling yourself on this list can seriously boost your credit rating.

Why Should I Register?

The electoral roll is an essential tool which credit reference agencies use to confirm your identity. It helps them protect against fraud and assists them in calculating your credit score. If you’re not registered, they may not be able to accurately calculate your rating, and therefore you are much more likely to be refused credit. It’s not just credit it affects either – organisations also use the electoral roll to confirm identity when issuing insurance, passports and financial services such as savings accounts. Your chances of obtaining all of these things could be reduced by not registering to vote.

How Do I Register?

Electoral registration forms are usually automatically issued by post, and it is a legal requirement that you respond. But if you haven’t received one, or you’ve missed the date, you can rectify this online by visiting About My Vote. It’s all done by your local area, so you’ll first be required to enter your post code in order to find your local authority, and then follow the instructions to register to vote. You can also use this service to check if you’re already registered. Here at Just Bad Credit, we’ve helped many people across the UK to improve their credit rating and obtain a bad credit mortgage. If you’d like any further information, please get in touch on 0800 9777840.