Electoral Register Codes

Electoral Register Codes

Until 1948 when a simple one person, one vote finally arrived, the electoral registers usually contained a reason or reason codes against electors showing the basis on which they qualified for the vote.

1885
There is usually a description of what entitles the person to be on the electoral register. This may include extra information such as for lodgers the landlord's or landlady's name, the weekly rent and how many rooms were rented. Where someone had moved house during the last 12 months, the word "successive" often appears followed by their previous address to show that each was of a sufficient rateable value to qualify its occupier to vote.

1918

Against each person are two codes, the first giving the qualification for Parliamentary Elections, and the second for Local Elections. Where there is a dash the voter could not vote in that election.

R	Residence qualification
BP	Business premises qualification
O	Occupational qualification
HO	Qualification through husband's occupation
NM	Naval or military voter

(note occupation means occupation of a property, nothing to do with employment)

1928

Against each person are two codes, the first giving the qualification for Parliamentary Elections, and the second for Local Elections. Where there is a dash the voter could not vote in that election.

R	Residence qualification (man)
Rw	Residence qualification (woman)
B	Business premises qualification (man)
Bw	Business premises qualification (woman)
O	Occupational qualification (man)
Ow	Occupational qualification (woman)
D	Qualification through wife's occupation
Dw	Qualification through husband's occupation
NM	Naval or military voter

Against names, the following extra codes can sometimes be seen

J	Eligible to serve as juror
SJ	Eligible to serve as special juror
a	Absent voter

1945

BP	Business premises register
CI	Civilian residence register
SE	Service register
RR	Ratepayers register

Electoral Register Dates

In general, one register was produced each year although none were produced during the war years 1915 (Scotland), 1916, 1917 and 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944.

There were two registers a year in 1868 and in 1885, also between 1919 and 1926 (sometimes called the spring and autumn registers), and also two in 1945 and two in 1946.

There were two key dates the "qualification date" which was the date when the voter had to qualify to be added to the register and the "effective date", the date when the register came into effect for any elections from that date on.

Between 1832 and 1915, qualification date was in July with an effective date of the beginning of December up to 1867 and then the 1st of January.

From 1918 to 1926 when there were two registers a year, the spring registers had a qualification date of 15 January with an effective date of 15 April and for the autumn registers, the two dates were 15 July and 15 October. After 1928 until 1939 the dates were 1 June and 15 October.

In the late 1940s to take 1948 as an example, the register was drawn up based on the National Identity Card register on 30th June, was published on August 9th with two weeks available to appeal if your name was omitted. The register came into force on 15th October 1948.

By the 1950s, qualification date was in October with an effective date the following February.