Voters unaware of electoral roll changes may not be registered for the EU referendum
Equifax reports rise in consumer queries regarding electoral registration
Equifax, the credit information provider, has reported a rising number of consumers contacting the company after discovering they are no longer registered to vote. In 2014 the process for electoral roll registration changed so that instead of one member of the household being able to register every adult at their address, each individual must register themselves. For individuals wanting to have their say in the EU referendum vote on Thursday 23rd June, it’s important to check they are registered.
“Our figures show a like-for-like decrease in elector volumes for 2016 of more than 600,000 and a decrease of 950,000 for 2015 compared to 2014,” explains Lisa Hardstaff, credit information expert at Equifax. “In addition, we’ve seen an increase in consumer enquiries about electoral registration. This suggests that some consumers don’t realise that they are no longer registered on the electoral roll, which means they won’t be able to have their say in the upcoming EU referendum.”
Whilst the electoral register primarily allows people to vote, it can also have an impact when applying for credit. The electoral roll information appears on an individual’s credit report, and is used by lenders to verify an applicant’s address. This makes it a vital step in becoming credit ready, when shopping around for deals.
Lisa Hardstaff concludes, “It’s easy to register to vote online or by contacting your local authority.”
Residents of England, Wales and Scotland can check if they’re registered to vote by contacting their local Electoral Registration Officer - details can be found on Gov.uk. Residents of Northern Ireland should visit the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website. Consumers can also check that they are registered at their current address on their Equifax Credit Report, as well as check other information that will be used by lenders when assessing credit applications.
The Equifax Credit Report is accessible for 30 days free simply by logging onto www.equifax.co.uk/Products/credit/credit-score. If customers do not cancel before the end of the 30 Day Free Trial, the service will continue at £14.95 per month, giving them unlimited online access to their credit information and weekly alerts on any changes to their credit file. It also includes an online dispute facility to help them correct any errors on their credit file simply and quickly.
ENDS
For further press information, please contact: Clare Watson, Cecile Stearn, Parm Heer or Wendy Harrison at HSL on 020 8977 9132 / Fax: 020 8977 5200 or Email: equifaxbtocteam@harrisonsadler.com
About Equifax
Equifax, Inc. (“Equifax”) powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyses data on more than 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500® Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide.
Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com
Equifax Limited is one of the Equifax group companies based in the UK. Equifax Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.