Electoral Registration Form

Ms_Chocaholic

I've just received my ERF and thought I'd complete it online. I like my details to not be included on the Register available for sale and I usually select this. This time the online form has changed, the option is:

Opt Out of Edited Register
Tick for yes

Does this mean I'm opting in/out of edited Register.

I'm confused.

Ms C x

Dan-Dan

Ms_Chocaholic wrote: »

I've just received my ERF and thought I'd complete it online. I like my details to not be included on the Register available for sale and I usually select this. This time the online form has changed, the option is:

Opt Out of Edited Register
Tick for yes

Does this mean I'm opting in/out of edited Register.

I'm confused.

Ms C x

I think you want to be IN the edited register?

keystone

Logically leave box blank to be included on edited register and tick box to stay off it. But who knows how your council's minds work?

Fill in the paper one and forget doing it online.

Cheers

indsty

A bit difficult without actually seeing the form, but I would say it means: Opt out of Edited Register? Tick yes if you want to opt out.

In other words Yes, I want to opt out of the edited register.

irishjohn

You must tick Yes to opt out - which means your name is on the full register for electoral purposes but removed from the edited register which is sold for commercial purposes.

It is essential that you repeat the opt out process every year because a new register is compiled every year and previous requests to opt out are ignored.

Yorkie1

In that case, you'd expect it to say Opt out of Full Register - so you tick the box to opt out of the full register and instead to go onto the edited register.

OP is correct that it appears to have a double negative. If you confirm (by ticking) that you want to opt out of the edited register, then you are confirmign that you want to be on the unedited register i.e. you want to be on the full register, which is sold all around the place.

I agree that you usually tick the box in order to opt out, but the form is misleading in this regard.

Perhaps phone the council and ask.

anotherbaldrick

read the sheet that accompanied the registration form it explains it fully. In section 2) it says " If you have no objection to having your details sold leave the box blank"

tony6403

I wouldn't bother too much over this as registered credit reference companies, who can purchase the full register , sell on the data to others.
I have written to the Electoral Commission about this. I got a reply but they admit to being unable to put a stop to this practice.

SailorSam

keystone wrote: »

Fill in the paper one and forget doing it online.

Cheers

Why would you want to do that, so much easier and quicker to do it online.

thewhiteavenger

Ms_Chocaholic wrote: »

I've just received my ERF and thought I'd complete it online. I like my details to not be included on the Register available for sale and I usually select this. This time the online form has changed, the option is:

Opt Out of Edited Register
Tick for yes

Does this mean I'm opting in/out of edited Register.

I'm confused.

Ms C x

Did this myself earlier.

If you tick, you are opting out of the edited register.

The edited register is available for general sale and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing.

irishjohn

Yorkie1 wrote: »

In that case, you'd expect it to say Opt out of Full Register - so you tick the box to opt out of the full register and instead to go onto the edited register.

OP is correct that it appears to have a double negative. If you confirm (by ticking) that you want to opt out of the edited register, then you are confirmign that you want to be on the unedited register i.e. you want to be on the full register, which is sold all around the place.

I agree that you usually tick the box in order to opt out, but the form is misleading in this regard.

Perhaps phone the council and ask.

The full register is the one used for electoral purposes and for credit references etc, it is not possible to opt out of the full one. If you complete the form you are placed on the full register. This register can only be seen or used by political parties and any other organisations permitted by legislation.

The edited register is a "mailing list" which is created using names from the full register (all the people who do not tick the opt out box are copied onto this edited register.) This edited register is then a product for sale to anyone who has the money and wants to buy a copy of the data, commercial organisations who want to use it for marketing purposes mainly.

I think it is the edited register you would not want to appear on