What is the Electoral Roll?

The Electoral Roll – also known as the Electoral Register – is a record held by your local authority. It shows whether you are eligible to vote in various types of elections. It’s also really important in the credit reporting world as many organisations will use the Electoral Roll to verify your details.

So, whether it’s a credit card company, utility provider, or even an employer, they can easily validate your name and address if they can see your Electoral Roll listing. Being on the Electoral Roll can even speed up a credit application as it can mean you don’t need to complete a separation verification process.

You should be able to see your Electoral Roll details at each of the three main UK credit reference agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – and on your Checkmyfile report. If you can’t, it’s likely that a lender won’t be able to either, which could affect both your credit score and any application that you make. In fact, some lenders may even decline your application on that basis alone.

If, after seeing your Checkmyfile report, you realise that your Electoral Roll information isn’t correct, here’s a couple of things to check:

• The date your listing was published.

• The name format registered.

• The address format registered.

It’ll take at least a month for your credit report to show an update to your Electoral Roll listing, and the name and address you provided on your Checkmyfile account will need to match exactly with what your council has recorded for you.

Taking the time to make sure all three agencies have matched your Electoral Roll details is a great step towards building your credit score.