BIGGEST EVER ELECTORAL ROLL OPT-OUT REPORTED BY EQUIFAX
More than 1 in 3 voters now opt-out of their data being available for non credit checking purposes
London - 16th January 2007 – Following the full load of over 45 million Electoral Roll records, leading credit and business information specialist, Equifax, reveals that more voters than ever are choosing not to allow their Electoral Roll information to be used for non-credit checking purposes.
The full Electoral Roll is available for companies as part of the credit application process. However, the Edited Electoral Roll, which only includes those individuals who have given permission for their personal data to be included, is used by many companies for identity verification purposes. If an individual's name is not on the Edited Electoral Roll they may not be able to shop online or complete important identity verification processes, such as for money laundering checks.
The analysis produced by the Equifax Predictive Sciences Team reveals that the overall opt-out rate for the Electoral Roll has increased by 4.57 percentage points year on year. It has gone from 32.14% for the 2005 Register, to 36.71% for the 2006 Register.
"This year has seen the highest level of opt-outs yet", confirmed Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax. "We think the reasons for this are three-fold. Firstly many councils now pre-tick the opt-out box for voters who opted-out the previous year and these voters may not have been aware that the opt-out box had been pre-ticked or how to opt back in. It is certainly the case that those councils who do not pre-tick have a lower opt-out rate than those who do. Also a number of councils conducted canvasses by foot last year and this may have affected people's choices.
"In addition, a growing number of consumers seem to believe that by opting out they are reducing the chance of receiving unwanted mail.. However, by taking this action they are probably only making it more difficult to shop online and by mail order. The best way to reduce the chances of receiving unwanted direct mail is to register with the Mailing Preference Service."
Regional Trends
The largest increase in opt-out rate occurred in South Gloucestershire. In 2005 the region had a slightly higher than average opt-out rate, but for 2006 this jumped to 55.36% of voters. However, there doesn't appear to be any regional bias when it comes to the councils that saw the highest opt-out rates overall. These include Kennet, Bridgend, Eden, Ealing and Epping Forest.
In contrast, Salford has the largest decrease in opt-outs. Last year the council had a much higher than average opt-out rate of 60.97%. But this has fallen dramatically to a below average rate of 32.43% for the 2006 Register.
Tayside Angus, Tayside Perth & Kinross, Dumfries and Galloway, and Tayside Dundee City all still remain amongst the 5 councils with the lowest opt-out rates. Unlike the majority of local authorities, these councils don't pre-fill their Electoral Roll forms.
"It is particularly worrying that the rate of opt-outs continues to increase, because of the importance of the Edited Electoral Roll for the identity verification of consumers", continued Munroe. "With increasing awareness of identify theft and fraud, more and more companies are using data sources such as the Electoral Roll to confirm an individual's identity, regardless of whether they are applying for credit, or not. By opting out individuals could be excluding themselves from offers and opportunities that would otherwise be financially beneficial.
The Highest and Lowest Opt Out Rates in the UK
Lowest Opt Outs
2006 Opt-Out |
|||
| Tayside Angus | 5.89% | ||
| Tayside Perth &Kinross | 7.26% | ||
| Dumfries And Galloway | 10.94% | ||
| Tayside Dundee City | 11.43% | ||
| Isles Of Scilly | 11.82% | ||
Highest Opt Outs
2006 Opt-Out |
|||
| Kennet | 79.71% | ||
| Bridgend | 74.87% | ||
| Eden | 73.47% | ||
| Ealing | 73.41% | ||
| Epping Forest | 69.88% | ||
Largest Increase in Opt Out %
| Name | 2005 Register Opt-Out |
2006 Register Opt-Out |
Opt-Out Change |
| South Gloucestershire | 33.88% | 55.36% | 21.49% |
| Fenland | 46.37% | 65.62% | 19.25% |
| Chesterfield | 12.66% | 30.04% | 17.38% |
| Wyre | 25.08% | 41.32% | 16.24% |
| Crawley | 46.72% | 60.82% | 14.10% |
Largest Decrease in Opt Out %
| Name | 2005 Register Opt-Out |
2006 Register Opt-Out |
Opt-Out Change |
| Salford | 60.97% | 32.43% | -28.54% |
| South Shropshire | 28.65% | 14.17% | -14.48% |
| Fareham | 50.79% | 39.54% | -11.24% |
| Stockton-On-Tees | 37.80% | 31.91% | -5.89% |
| Vale Of Glamorgan | 20.98% | 17.88% | -3.10% |
END
