Help and Guidance for users of the Online Household Response Service
1. Opting Out of the Open Register?
The Electoral Registration Officer makes and keeps two versions of the Electoral
Register - the electoral register and the open register.
The electoral register lists the name and address of everyone who is registered
to vote. The council holds a copy and anyone is allowed to look at it, but it is
a criminal offence to supply or use copies for purposes other than those set down
in law. More information is available at
www.yourvotematters.co.uk
The main use of the electoral register is to show who can vote in elections and referendums.
Credit reference agencies can use it, but only to check your name and address if
you are applying for credit and for other purposes specified by law. It can also
be used for law enforcement.
The open register is available for general sale and can be used for any
purpose. The open register can be bought by any person, company or organisation
and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing. If you want to opt
out of having your details appear on the open register, please indicate this in
your registration. You must ask each person named on the form if they want to opt
out of the open register.
2. Nationalities who are eligible to register.
Citizens of the following EU and Commonwealth countries, who are resident in the
UK, may register to vote:
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Irish Republic
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei Darussalam
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
Hong Kong
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
Vanuatu
Zambia
Zimbabwe
3. I am having technical problems.
There may be a local connectivity problem – are you actually connected? Check if
you can connect to www.google.co.uk or www.bbc.co.uk. Many problems are solved if
you simply stop and restart your browser, or in more serious cases you may need
to restart your computer.
4. The internet system won't accept my Security Code or Postcode.
Make sure you are entering it correctly. These must be entered without spaces
into the appropriate textboxes. The postcode entered must be the same as the one
printed on your registration form. It can be entered with or without spaces in upper
or lower case e.g. N8 0NW is the same as n80nw. Make sure you are not confusing
1 with I, or 0 with O. If there is no postcode printed on your form, email your
details to the Technical support address below.
5. The internet system says I've already registered.
If someone from the household has already registered, either by phone or internet
or SMS (if your local authority is using this service), then the system will prevent
anyone else using the same Security Code to log in. Perhaps a friend or relative
may have already registered on your behalf?
6. I have more than one property to register.
When you have completed each registration, the internet address from the form must
be entered into your browser again. (You may be able to select the address from
the drop-down box in your browser address bar.) Pages that your browser may have
stored from previous registrations should not be re-used.
7. I encountered an error or my internet connection was interrupted during registration,
has my registration been recorded?
Try logging in again, if the registration was recorded properly the system won't
let you in again; if it wasn't, the system will let you in.
8. I am a visually impaired or disabled internet user and require special software
or tools to browse the internet. Is the website compatible with my system?
We have tested the website on a wide range of different browsers, and incorporated
principles of accessibility into the website design wherever possible without compromising
the required functionality and security. Thus we have tried to make the website
as usable and accessible as possible, but please let us know if you encounter problems
and we will investigate them.
9. How can I ensure that my personal details are kept secure while using this service?
Democracy Counts has physical security in our facilities to protect against the
loss, theft, misuse, or alteration of information and also complies to the standard
ISO 27001 for data security. There are also different layers of security implemented
throughout our website platform, for example hardware and application firewalls;
intrusion detection systems; and SSL encryption. You should also take the following
steps yourself to further safeguard your personal data:
Keep your Registration Form safe at least until you have registered - it has a Security
Code printed on it which is used to enter the website.
Don't leave your computer unattended when it is switched on.
If you use a shared computer ensure that you close the browser after use.
Use anti-virus and firewall software to protect your computer, and be sure to keep
your anti-virus software regularly updated.
Don't open e-mail attachments or click links in email messages from people you don't
know.
Technical support
For general queries about electoral registration or elections, please phone your
local authority's helpline number. This can be found on your registration form.
Please contact us directly using email if you experience any technical problems
with the website. We will need as much information as possible to investigate the
problem, including:
The local council in which you are trying to register;
Part One of your Security Code;
The date and time you tried to register;
The exact error message, if any, you received;
Please email us details of your technical problem, We will investigate the problem
and let you know what we find as soon as we can.