Updating your voter registration

After you have registered, you will only need to update your registration when you move house or change your name.
However, some categories of elector need to renew their registration every few years and electors with postal or proxy votes need to renew their applications every three to five years, as detailed below.

Moving house

When you move house, you must re-register.  Electoral registration is separate from other Council departments so notifying our Council Tax team (for example) that you have moved does not remove you from one address on the electoral register nor add you add a new one.
You can register at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

If you are not able to register online, you can download a paper form at www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-to-vote-paper-forms 

When completed, please send it by email to elections@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk or by post to:
Electoral Services
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
Endeavour House
8 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX

When registering, please indicate your previous address.  This will ensure your removal from the register at your old address when you are added at your new address.

Change of Name

• If you change your name, please send us a copy of the relevant document (marriage certificate, deed poll document, divorce document with evidence of the name you are reverting to e.g. birth certificate or marriage certificate).  
• The document(s) can be sent by email or post.  
• Please include your current name and address.
• Do not send original documents.

Overseas Electors

• Overseas Electors need to submit a declaration every three years to renew their registration.
• The renewal date for all overseas electors is 1 November.
• The Elections Team will write to you in advance of your renewal date to advise you how to renew.
• Declarations can be renewed online through the gov.uk website but you will need a code, which will be included in your renewal letter.
• Overseas electors with a postal or proxy vote will need to renew these at the same time as renewing their overseas elector declaration.  Details will be included in the renewal letter.
• Overseas electors who do not renew their declaration will be removed from the electoral register.
• Overseas electors who renew their declaration but do not renew their postal or proxy vote will revert to being ‘in person’ electors.

Anonymous Electors, Crown Servants and Electors registered using a Local Connection

• Anonymous Electors and those registered using a Local Connection need to re-apply every 12 months.
• The Elections Team will write to you in advance of your renewal date to advise you how to renew.

Service Voters and their spouses

• Service voters and their spouses need to submit a declaration every five years to renew their registration.
• The Elections Team will write to you in advance of your renewal date to advise you how to renew.

Postal voters

• Postal votes are valid for up to three years.
• The expiry date for all postal voters (except overseas electors) is 31 January.
• The Elections Team will write to you in advance of your expiry date to advise you how to re-apply.
• Electors who do not make a new postal vote application before their expiry date will revert to being ‘in person’ electors.

Proxy voters

• The signatures of proxy voters are valid for up to five years.
• The refresh date for all postal voters (except overseas electors) is 31 January.
• The Elections Team will write to you in advance of your expiry date to advise you how to re-apply.
• Electors who do not make a new proxy vote application before their expiry date will revert to being ‘in person’ electors.