How the electoral roll affects your credit score
Lenders use the electoral roll to check who you are and where you live. They do this to make sure your credit application isn’t fraudulent and to avoid the risk of identity theft.
Because it’s such a reliable way to prove your identity, being on it can have a positive effect on your credit score. If you’re not on the electoral roll or your details don’t match up, it makes it harder for lenders to confirm your identity. While this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll refuse your application, it does mean your credit rating is likely to be lower than it could be.
Being on the electoral roll is one of the simplest ways to give your credit score a boost.
Even more importantly, you’re legally required to be on the electoral roll if you’re eligible.
What is the electoral roll?
The electoral roll, or electoral register, is a list of the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections in the UK.
This includes national and local elections as well as referendums.
But voting isn’t the only reason being registered matters. It’s also used to confirm your identity for:
Jury duty selection
Criminal investigations
Credit applications.
Quick tip
If you're not keen on companies using your info for marketing, there’s an ‘open register’ you can opt out of. This won’t affect your credit score as credit reference agencies have access to the full electoral register.
Benefits of being on the electoral register
As well as boosting your credit score, being on the electoral roll has several benefits:
You can vote – if you’re eligible, being registered means you can have your say when elections roll around. Just remember, you now need photo ID to vote.
Credit applications are quicker – if you’re not registered, you might need to supply other forms of address and identity proof, which slows things down.
Your identity’s easier to check – this makes applications for jobs, passports and other services easier.
How to check if you’re on the electoral register
Not sure if you’re on the electoral register? It’s straightforward to check:
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, contact your local Electoral Registration Office. You can find your local office by going to the Gov.uk website and entering your postcode.
If you live in Northern Ireland, contact the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland.
If you’re eligible to vote, the law says you must be registered on the electoral roll, even if you don’t plan on voting. It’s your responsibility, and if you’re asked to register and you don’t, you could be fined.
Bear in mind...
Registering for council tax or government benefits doesn’t automatically put you on the electoral roll.
Who can vote in the UK?
You can sign up to the electoral register when you’re 16 years old or over (14 or over in Scotland and Wales). But you can’t actually vote until you turn 18 (or 16 for some elections in Scotland and Wales).
To register to vote, you must also be one of the following:
A British citizen
An Irish or EU citizen resident in the UK
A Commonwealth citizen resident in the UK
A citizen of another country legally residing in Scotland or Wales.
You can check your eligibility on the Gov.uk website.
Bear in mind...
The rules on EU citizens’ eligibility to vote changed in May 2024. See The Electoral Commission for details.
How to get on the electoral roll in the UK
Register online
Want to get on the electoral roll quickly? The easiest way is to register online using the government’s register to vote service, which only takes about five minutes.
You’ll be asked your National Insurance number, although you can still register if you haven’t got one
Once you’ve registered, your name and address will be listed on the electoral roll and will also be noted on your credit report
You can also use the register to vote service to update your personal details, such as a change of name, address or nationality.
Don’t forget to keep your info updated as it could harm your credit score if your personal details no longer match.
Register by post
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales you can print and fill out a paper form, then send it to your local Electoral Registration Office.
If you live in Northern Ireland, you’ll need to fill out a different form and send it to the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland (EONI).
What can I do if I can’t join the electoral register?
If you’re not eligible to vote and can’t join the electoral register:
Lenders will need other forms of identity and proof of address, which could delay your application process for financial products
Your credit score may be negatively affected
Credit applications may be refused.
If you’re not able to get on the electoral register, you can add a note to your credit file explaining the reason why. To do this, you’ll need to contact the three main credit reference agencies (CRAs): Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Each of the CRAs holds a file on you and the information they have may differ, so it’s best to contact all three.
Quick tip
If you share a house with other people, make sure your name is on one or more of the utility bills. This could help to confirm your name and proof of address. It might also help improve your credit score – if you pay the bills on time.
FAQs
Once I’ve registered to vote, how long does it take for the information to appear on my credit file?
Once you’ve registered to vote, your local authority will pass the information on to the credit reference agencies, typically by a chosen date each month. Estimates vary, as it depends on the processes in place at your local authority, but credit reference agencies report that it could take up to 30 days, or in some cases up to six weeks before the information appears on your credit file.
If you register to vote during your local council’s annual canvas (typically between August and November), when local councils contact residents to review details on the electoral register, your details may not be supplied to the credit reference agencies until the canvas has ended.
Can I register at more than one address?
Yes, you can. If you’re a student, for example, you could register at your parents’ address as well as your student digs. Just be aware that you can only use one address to vote at national elections. If you vote twice, you’ll be breaking the law.
You will be able to vote at both your term time and home address in local elections, so long as they’re not in the same election area.
It’s not obligatory to register at both addresses, so you can choose just to register at your family’s home address. Registering at a permanent address could help protect your credit score as lenders don’t like to see many different addresses over a short space of time – they might consider it a red flag for identity theft or fraud.
I’m moving house. When should I register?
It’s best to wait until you’ve moved in before registering to vote at your new address. Just make sure it’s a priority and that you do it as soon as possible. If you move out of your election area, you’ll need to let your previous local authority know that you’re now registered at a new address in a different area.
Can I register to vote if I live outside the UK?
Yes, you can register as an overseas voter, so long as you’re a British or eligible Irish citizen and you were registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years. In some cases, you can still register as an overseas voter if you were too young to register to vote before you left the UK.
If you’re abroad temporarily for election day, but you’re still resident in the UK, you can vote by post or by proxy (where you choose someone to vote for you on election day).
What is the ‘open register’?
The ‘open register’ is an edited version of the full electoral register that is available to the public. When you sign up to the electoral roll, your information is kept on two registers:
The electoral register, also known as the full register
The open register, also known as the edited register.
If you don’t want your information shared, you can choose to opt out of the open register and ask to have your details removed. You’ll remain on the full electoral register – the one that lenders use when you apply for credit – so opting out of the open register won’t harm your credit score.
What else can the electoral information on my credit report be used for?
It’s not just lenders who use your electoral information to identify you. Registering to vote could also give you easier access to:
Insurance
Energy deals
Mobile phone contracts
Getting a passport
Applying for a job.
How else can I improve my credit score?
Registering to vote isn’t the only way to build your credit score. You could also:
Pay your bills on time
Close any old accounts you no longer use, including past joint accounts with an ex-partner
Don’t apply for too much credit in a short space of time
Check your credit report for any mistakes that need correcting
If you have a poor or no credit history, consider a credit-builder card to help build up your credit score over time.
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