Historic Electoral Registers - Qualifying Date

[PeterProg]

Hi all
Just a quick question on qualifying dates for Historic Electoral Registers in the early years of the twentieth century.  In the years up until WWI, I understand that the qualifying date was 31 July.
But just so I am clear, is this 31 July in the year of publication of the register, or 31 July of the previous year?  That is, is the qualifying date for, say, the 1905 Electoral Register 31 July 1905 or 31 July 1904?
Cheers

[Bookbox]

From the London Metropolitan Archives' research guide ...

https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/RESEARCH_GUIDES/web_detail_rg/SISN+14?SESSIONSEARCH
There are three dates associated with each register: the qualifying date, the date when the register comes into force, and the date on which the register is replaced. The qualifying date is the most important for the purpose of tracing ancestors or missing persons because it establishes residence on a particular date. From 1832 the qualifying date was normally either June or July with the register coming into force at the end of that year. From 1953 the qualifying date became October with the register coming into force in February.

[PeterProg]

Thank you, that makes it clear.  In my example, the qualifying date for the 1905 Electoral Register is therefore 31 July 1905.

[JohninSussex]

The best way to work this out, if you have access to images of the register in question, is to find the introductory pages to that section of register.

If you're lucky you will find confirmation of the relevant dates for that year's register.  So referring to the extract given by Bookbox,
From 1832 the qualifying date was normally either June or July with the register coming into force at the end of that year
if the qualifying date of your quoted register was July 1905, it "came into force at the end of" 1905, and was therefore "in force" for any elections that took place in the whole of 1906.

So an online resource could have decided to call that one "Electoral register 1906" rather than 1905.  Look for the front page and you will be sure.

[PeterProg]

Cheers John, much appreciated.