Free Electoral Roll search
 

I've just seen this site on another forum and it appears to give free searches of the UK electoral roll between 1980 & 2014.
http://www.freeelectoralroll.co.uk/

I am listed on there, even though our details should not be listed on the edited electoral roll. My mother-in-law is also listed at my address, even though she only lived with us between 2008 & 2011, long after the edited register came into being.
We are not listed on the electoral roll which is available on FMP.

They say the following in their FAQ's:


Q. I did a Google search and I found myself listed within your search results and I would like to remove myself from your databases?


Simply go to the record removal page and follow the guidance notes.

So you should be able to get your details removed that way.

I'm still trying to figure out why and how they would have details of people who have opted out of the "open register", though.

Wait, is it possible that you were on the open register some time after 1980? They say that their records go back that far.

Yes we have been living here since 1978 and I think you have only been able to opt out since about 2003. That still doesn't explain why my mother-in-law is listed at my address though when she only lived with us between 2008 & 2011.

According to the Government site legislation.gov.uk, it is a criminal offence to supply or use the unedited register for anything other than a few legitimate reasons and splashing it freely all over the internet is certainly not one of them!

This is from the Government website legislation.gov.uk

Who uses the electoral register?

Election staff, political parties, candidates and holders of elected office use the register for electoral purposes.

Your local council and the British Library hold copies that anyone may look at under supervision. A copy is also held by the Electoral Commission, the Boundary Commissions (which set constituency boundaries for most elections) and the Office for National Statistics.

The council can use the register for duties relating to security, enforcing the law and preventing crime. The police and the security services can also use it for law enforcement.

The register is used when calling people for jury service.

Government departments may buy the register from local registration officers and use it to help prevent and detect crime. They can also use it to safeguard national security by checking the background of job applicants and employees.

Credit reference agencies can buy the register. They help other organisations to check the names and addresses of people applying for credit. They also use it to carry out identity checks when trying to prevent and detect money laundering.

It is a criminal offence for anyone to supply or use the register for anything else.

Your mother-in-law was definitely not included on the open register when she lived with you, then, Sue?

I've just looked and hopefully found an address for someone I want to contact for genealogy purposes so I'm rather pleased.

No Kate. definitely not.

Any search you make is public - scroll down the main page and you will see the names people have searched for.

Ha! They are registered in Spain - no doubt to get round the law.