Electoral roll opt out

timbo58

apologies if in the wrong thread -please move it admins, thank you.

local council (wiltshire) sent me a letter this morning concerning registration to vote.

Now, normally, (as I know I am registered and I always vote in all elections) this would have been cursorily examined and thrown away.

HOWEVER.
It goes on to state midway down I was NOW automatically re-enrolled in the 'open register'.
All very well but I have been ex directory/closed register for many years now and haven't asked to change either, so surely the council could use some common sense and see I didn't want to be in the open register when they automatically re-enrolled me.

Just a heads up for others -I have of course emailed and asked my name be removed but it is an annoyance that one should have to notice such and go out of my way to maintain a position I've always had.

peter_the_piper

This has been so for a long time, however our council does tick the appropriate box for you if you have previously opted out.

rustyboy21

Our council send the form out every year and you have to opt out.
If you don't send it back, or do it online, then they come a knocking on your door, usually on a Saturday or sunday !

tronator

I got the same letter from my council today, but mine says I have to opt out to be added to the open register. Really? What nonsense is that?

"Your details are not on the open register. To be added to the open register please email a request to [EMAIL="optout@xyz.gov.uk"]optout@xyz.gov.uk[/EMAIL]..."

Opt out from what? I guess they don't know the difference between opt in and out. Or are they using the same email address for both, opt-in and opt-out?

lidlest

Thanks for this, I probably wouldn't have noticed I've been put on the opening register as the letter states today if I hadn't read this

mije1983

peter_the_piper wrote: »

This has been so for a long time, however our council does tick the appropriate box for you if you have previously opted out.

Same with my local council as well. I guess they all follow different procedures!

timbo58

all the more bizarre and potentially confusing I think!
I can see me having a word in the ear of my local councillor frankly as it should be standard practice surely to make 'previous preference' the default?

Very odd indeed that each do as they seemingly please, and my own seems to either be doing what the cheapest is to them or (cynically) are defaulting to whatever commercial data trawlers would prefer.

NBLondon

Here in South London, m'wife and I have been opted out for years.

Last week we both get letters from the council. In different sized envelopes. Mine says "You are opted-out. We are changing the rules but you don't have to do anything to stay opted-out." Hers says "You are opted-out. We are changing the rules so if you want to stay opted-out, let us know online or with this form."

All I can think that it used to be one tick on the form to opt out is changing to each individual having to opt out for themselves. Since my name was top of the form (alphabetically) they have taken the old tick for both us to now apply to me only.

I can't see any reason why people whould actively choose to be on the open register - but obviously councils want it as big as possible if they are selling it on.

philatio

Got this yesterday.
Possibly one of the most badly-worded unintelligable letters I've ever received. Don't know if its a national standard letter or if my Council is just worse than others.

I think it means that I have to opt out of the 'Open' thing cos I'm in both at the moment, but it doesn't tell me how I do this at all.

My folks just binned theirs stating "couldn't make head nor tail of it"

hollydays

They sell your details on.
You have to opt out.

Marmaduke123

NBLondon wrote: »

Last week we both get letters from the council. In different sized envelopes. Mine says "You are opted-out. We are changing the rules but you don't have to do anything to stay opted-out." Hers says "You are opted-out. We are changing the rules so if you want to stay opted-out, let us know online or with this form."

All I can think that it used to be one tick on the form to opt out is changing to each individual having to opt out for themselves. Since my name was top of the form (alphabetically) they have taken the old tick for both us to now apply to me only.

I think the whole system is changing to individual rather than household registration, so if you get a form everyone has to sign by their own name. If you don't get a form every year I imagine everyone except possibly the person who has signed the household form will have to be written to separately about the opt out. NB's council appears to be writing to everyone to be on the safe side.