Freedom of Information Act 2000
Information Request FOI/2010/816
Response
I would draw your attention to the copyright statement on the reverse of this Response.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I would like to know the
following about the compilation and management of the Electoral Roll:-
1. Approximately what percentage of the Electoral Roll was carried forward from
the 2008 Full Electoral Roll to the 2009 Full Roll? This would relate to those
households which were previously registered on the Full Electoral Roll and
which had not sent an updated canvass form for the next year or been
successfully contacted through doorstep canvassing. If you do not have the
exact figures please provide your best estimate.
If you are asking how many properties did not return an electoral registration
form during the annual canvass, whether through the post or by personal
canvassing, we do not hold specific records. However, we would expect the
figure to be around 1-3% at most.
2. What year did you introduce a pre-tick on the canvass form for electors who
had previously opted out of the Edited register? Please provide copies of any
correspondence regarding the introduction of this pre-tick, either internally or
with the Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) and the Association of
Electoral Administrators (AEA).
The only data we hold in relation to this is from 2006. Since 2006, we have
pre-ticked the opt-out box on those electors who were already opted-out of the
edited register. We have had no correspondence with the AEA or ICO.
3. Since 2002 have you ever pre-ticked a canvass form by default for people who
have not previously opted out of the Edited Electoral Roll in the preceding
year, such that if those people who were previously included in the Edited
Electoral Roll do not cross out that pre-printed tick when returning the canvass
form they are then opted out of the Edited Electoral Roll?
No
4. If someone has not returned a canvass form for more than two year do you
remove them from the Electoral Roll? If not, how many years do you carry a
non-respondant over on the Electoral Roll?
FOI/2010/816 Response
We delete electors where a household registration form has not been received
for 2 years or more.
5. In addition I would like to know if you have any evidence of electoral
malpractice and how many such allegations were a) made to the police or b)
resulted in prosecutions, since the beginning of 2008.
There have been no allegations of election malpractice within the Mendip
District Council area for at least 7 years.
6. Please also forward me a copy of any other FOI requests you have received in
the last six months relating to the Electoral Roll, as well as your responses to
those requests.
All Freedom of Information requests from the last six months can be found on
the Council’s disclosure log by using the following links:
July 2009 -
http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-
A782DF80&cat=156
August 2009 - http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-
A782E3D4&cat=156
September 2009 - http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-
A782D3E4&cat=156
October 2009 - http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-
A782E7F0&cat=156
November 2009 - http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-
A782F114&cat=156 December 2009 - http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-
A782F8C9&cat=156
Fiona Lyons
Data Protection Officer
Date: 21 January 2010
FOI/2010/816 Response
Copyright and the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations
Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of Information Act
2000 requests will be subject to copyright protection. In most cases the copyright will
be owned by Mendip District Council. The copyright in other information may be
owned by another person or organisation, as indicated in the information itself.
You are free to use any information supplied for your own use, including for non-
commercial research purposes. The information may also be used for the purposes
of news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for example, by publishing the
information or issuing copies to the public will require the permission of the copyright
owner.
For information where the copyright is owned by Mendip District Council please
submit a request in writing stating:-
• Name and address of applicant requiring permission for re-use of the
information
• Full details of the document/information required for re-use sufficient for the
Council to identify it
• The purpose for which the document/information is to be re-used
For information where the copyright is owned by another person or organisation, you
must apply to the copyright owner to obtain their permission.’
FOI/2010/816 Response
