Collecting information for electoral register

[Skaife]

I know women over the age of 30 gained the vote in 1918.
What i am wondering is how was the information collected in order to compile the electoral register back then? As more people were  able to vote in Parliamentary elections did they have to submit their names & addresses every year? 

[MollyC]

The information has probably always been collected via a household form, so the head of the household was responsible for entering the correct names.  There would be instructions as to who should be included, also depending upon when their qualifying birthday fell during the year.

(added) Women who were householders would already be on the register, qualified to vote in local elections only.  In those cases their voting status would be changed.

[Andy J2022]

Section 31(2) and Schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1918 (warning:large pdf) stipulated the process by which the registration officer was to gather the information about eligible voters, in order to compile the register. The last sentence of paragraph 35 of Schedule 1 says  "Any notice requiring information under this rule may be sent by post". In other words the system was quite similar to that used today.  Furthermore, anyone who needed to obtain a copy of their birth certificate in order to prove that they were qualified to register could do so by paying a reduced fee of six pence. There was a fine of up to £20 for anyone who failed to provide the required information or who supplied false information.

[Skaife]

Thankyou both - very useful information. It must have been quite a jobto process all that information and especially so when there was a whole new group ( such as in 1918) to add.

Have I understood correctly from the information you have provided AndyJ2022 that if people didn’t register they could be fined? I notice when updating our current ER it simply says if you don’t return the information you won’t be included and thus not able to vote.

[MollyC]

I expect the type for printing the registers was held from year to year and amended, not completely re-set, but you are correct, there would be a lot to add.  In 1918 they were also producing a separate Absent Voters' List of servicemen who were listed by home address but not able to vote there.

In my district, around 1920 the format changed to a much smaller page until 1939.  It was enlarged again in 1945.

[Andy J2022]

Hi Skaife, it's a good question. The act talks about people being entitled to vote only if their names appear in the Register. The Registration Officer's duty is to compile the register of those persons. To do this he "may require any householder or any person owning or occupying land or premises within his area [...] to give any information required for the purpose of his duties as registration officer; and if any person fails to give the required information or gives false information, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20"
So it would appear the compulsion was on the householder etc to include on the form all entitled people at that particular premises, but doesn't actually go so far as to say everyone must be registered. I assume that it was taken for granted those who were entitled, especially the newly enfranchised women, wanted to be included and therefore no-one else should deny them the opportunity. Obviously no-one was or is forced to vote.

[Skaife]

A really clear explanation, thankyou AndyJ. I’ve been back to the source which I was using ( ER 1922) and looked at the neighbouring households and can see that every household has registered so all following the guidance.
The woman I was researching reached the age of 30 in 1919 and I’ve been able to trace her on all the ER up to her death, she moved quite a few times within a small area.