More than 15,000 households which had not completed and returned their electoral registration forms by the 1 February deadline have been given another chance to submit the required information.
Letters went out this week reminding households that it is a legal requirement to provide the information necessary for the annual update of the Island’s electoral register.
The letters include a registration form which must be completed and returned by 19 February 2016 and warn that failure to provide the information without a reasonable excuse is an offence under the Registration of Electors Act 2006. Prosecutions may be considered if the forms are not returned.
Residents cannot stand or vote in this year’s House of Keys general election or local authority elections unless they are on the electoral register. Being unregistered can also affect a person’s credit reference history and excludes them from jury service.
More than 25,000 households have returned the completed forms. Being on the register does not mean that a person must vote but it is a legal requirement to return the completed form when asked to do so by the Electoral Registration Officer.
Individuals who do not qualify to be registered because they have not been resident in the Island in the period from 31 March 2015 are asked to return the form, marked with “ineligible for registration”.
Any household that has not yet received a registration form or has queries should get in touch as soon as possible with the Electoral Registration Unit on +44 1624 685754 or by email to elections@gov.im. Further information can be found on the Government website at www.gov.im/elections
