Nature of Source
Introduction to Electoral Registers
Electoral registers are an invaluable resource for family historians offering an ideal way of tracking a person’s place of residence over a number of years. The registers were compiled annually and listed all adults eligible to vote in local and national elections within each polling district, along with details of their qualifying property.
Historical Context and Legislation
Representation of the People Act (1832)
The Act, more commonly known as the Reform Act, for the first time modestly extended the vote to non-property owning males. The Act widened the franchise to include those renting property at an annual rate of £10 or more a year but still only covered about 15 per cent of the male population. Before this, voting was largely restricted to freemen and freeholders. The Act also introduced Registers of Electors, recording the names of all those entitled to vote and not just those who voted.
Reform Act (1867)
The Act, also known as the Second Reform, lowered the property threshold for voting, thus extending the vote to virtually all male householders in towns.
Secret Ballot Act (1872)
The Act abolished the recording the names of voters and the recipients of their votes.
Franchise Act (1884)
The Act further extended the franchise to working men in urban areas and agricultural workers, resulting in about 65 per cent of male householders over the age of 21 appearing in the registers.
Representation of the People Act (1918)
This landmark Act enfranchised all men over 21 and women over 30, covering around 85 per cent of the population.
Equal Franchise Act (1928)
Finally in 1928 universal suffrage was achieved whereby all residents, male and female, over 21 gained the vote.
Women in Electoral Registers
Women appear in earlier lists of parish electors and from 1867 in local municipal elections if they were the ratepayer. By 1888, women could also be found in registers covering local council elections.
Arrangement of Registers
When searching electoral registers, it’s important to note how they were organised.
- Before 1918, electoral registers listed names alphabetically. Post-1918, they were organised by district, similar to census records which means an address must be known to locate the person.
- In large towns and cities registers were arranged by electoral ward and in counties by parish.
- From 1885 to 1915, for those qualified under the lodger’s franchise, details such as the landlord’s name, weekly rent, and number of rooms rented were recorded in the registers.
- No registers were compiled between 1917-1918 and 1940-1944.
- Also check the absentee voter lists compiled in 1918 which mainly list servicemen and women on active service and will include their service details.
- The last full publicly available register is for 2002. Thereafter, people had the choice to opt out of the published register and about 40 per cent choose this option.
Codes and Qualifications
There are two columns in the registers containing letters ‘a’ or ‘b’ showing for which election the elector had the franchise, whether parliamentary or local government, and the nature of qualification The following shows the codes used in the registers depending on the year the registers were compiled.
1918
B.P. = Business premises qualification
R = Residence qualification
H.O. = Qualification through husband’s occupation
NM = Naval or Military voter
J = Juror
SJ = Special Juror
1928
For Men
R = Residence qualification
B = Business premises qualification
O = Occupation qualification
D = Qualification through wife’s occupation
NM = Naval or military voter
J = Juror
SJ = Special Juror
For Women
RW = Residence qualification
BW = Business premises qualification
OW = Occupation qualification
DW = Qualification through husband’s occupation
NM = Naval or military voter
From 1945 ‘S’ or ‘SE’ indicates a Service Voter.
In Scotland burghs were separate parliamentary constituencies from the counties and some burghs were grouped together as one constituency.
The following GenGuide sources could assist in researching electoral resister records:
- Directories, Trade, Professional, Telephone & Street
- Guilds, Freedoms & Freemen’s or Burgess Rolls
- Jurors’ Lists/Freeholders’ Lists
- Poll Books
Where Found
British Library
Electoral Registers. The British Library holds the national collection of printed electoral registers from when they were first produced under the Representation of the People Act in 1832 to the present day. The Library’s collection is complete for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 1947 onwards, but patchy before World War 2. The electoral registers are not included in the main library catalogue. Instead you will need to consult Parliamentary Constituencies and their Registers Since 1832, by Richard Cheffins which lists constituencies alphabetically and gives the library’s register holdings.
The London Archives
The Archives holds electoral registers covering 1832 to 1965, overseers’ returns of electors, and poll books for the London and Middlesex areas.
Society of Genealogists
The society offers county coverage of electoral register records.
ScotlandsPeople Centre
Holdings include Sheriff Court Records including post 1832 electoral records; Burgh records including burgh voters’ rolls.
County Record Offices
These often hold electoral registers covering their respective local areas.
Period Covered
1832 – Onwards
Genealogical Value
- Name and address (also the qualifying address) of the elector.
- Whether owner, tenant or boarder.
- Property description and value.
- Occasionally ages and occupations.
- Useful for house history research.
Further References
- Cheffins, Richard H. A. Parliamentary constituencies and their registers since 1832: a list of constituencies from the Great Reform Act with the British Library’s holdings of electoral registers together with the Library’s holdings of burgess rolls, poll books and other registers: British Library, 1998
- Craig, F.W.S. Boundaries of British Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1972
- Directories and Poll Books in the Library of the Society of Genealogists: Society of Genealogists
- Gibson, Jeremy. Electoral Registers 1832-1948; and Burgess Rolls: Family History Partnership, 2008
- Gibson, Jeremy & Rogers, Colin. Electoral Registers Since 1832: Federation of Family History Societies, 1990
Websites
The London Archives Research Guide
Electoral Registers. This guide explains how to find individuals in London and Middlesex who were able to vote in elections.
Electoral Registers
Information about electoral registers and poll books. The website provides information about UK electoral registers and explains how these registers are compiled and what information they contain.
Electoral Registers
Electoral Register Codes. The guide provides a summary and explanation of the information codes found on the registers.
British Library
Helpful guides: Electoral Registers 1832-1948; and Burgess Rolls: A Directory to Holdings in Great Britain, by Jeremy Gibson. This guide to Electoral Registers is arranged, under county, by constituency, showing the boundary and name changes of 1885 and 1918, and concluding before those of 1948. This guide brings together as far as possible information on all holdings of registers for other record offices and libraries. Also included are Burgess Rolls of voters in Borough elections.
Newcastle University
Eighteenth-Century Political Participation & Electoral Culture. The project explores how people in England participated in parliamentary elections from 1695 to the Reform Act of 1832. The site offers a comprehensive collection of digitised resources and analysis on eighteenth-century English elections including statistical information about elections, digitised artefacts including printed texts and images as well as feature essays.
Who Do You Think You Are Magazine
Where can I view old electoral registers?
Explore Your Genealogy
Electoral Registers and Poll Books. Useful resources showing where your ancestors lived.
Pharos Tutors
Why Genealogists Love General Elections, by Stuart Raymond.
Family Tree Resources
About Electoral Registers.
Norfolk Record Office
Electoral registers and poll books. Guide to electoral registers and poll books.
Devon Archives and Local Studies
Electoral Records Research Guide.
Essex Record Office Guide
Understanding electoral registers and poll books.
Surrey Heritage
Historical electoral registers.
The Victorian Web
The Reform Acts, by Glenn Everett.
National Records of Scotland
Research Guide Burgh Records.
National Records of Scotland
Research Guide Sheriff Court Records.
Online Databases
National Coverage
Findmypast
England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1832-1932. Search approximately 220 million names of voters. The collection is made available in association with the British Library as well as York Libraries & Archives. You can search the records by personal name, polling district, county and constituency. The registers were compiled annually, which means it is likely you will uncover multiple records for your ancestor.
Findmypast
England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1910-1932. Search millions of registers created annually of those eligible to vote including those first entitled to vote after 1918. Their reason for eligibility such as their residence or ownership of a property is also shown. The registers have been released in association with the British Library.
Findmypast
Britain, Absent Voters Lists 1918-1921. Registers of eligible voters who were absent from their homes. The registers consist of 100,000 names of service men, women serving with the auxiliary forces, merchant seamen, diplomats and others working in occupations recognised as supporting the war effort.
Findmypast
UK Electoral Registers & Companies House Directors. Search UK electoral registers beginning from 2002. Also included in the dataset are registers of UK directors whose companies are registered with Companies House. The records are provided to Findmypast by 192.com and cover England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Ancestry
UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010
This collection contains an index of all persons appearing in the electoral register in the years 2003-2010. The open register contains the same information but can be sold for a wide variety of uses. Individuals can opt out of inclusion in the open register.
Ancestry
UK, Electoral Registers, 2011-2018
This collection contains an index of all persons appearing in the electoral register in the years 2011-2018. The open register contains the same information but can be sold for a wide variety of uses. Individuals can opt out of inclusion in the open register.
Ancestry
UK, Absent Voter Lists, 1918-1925, 1939. This database contains separate electoral registers of servicemen and women who voted by vote by proxy or by postal application when away from home on active service.
192.com
Electoral Roll. Search the publicly available version of the electoral roll now known as the Open Register. It includes the names and addresses of the majority of UK residents over the age of eighteen. The most recent electoral roll is added at the beginning of each calendar year and updated regularly throughout the year.
London
Ancestry
Westminster, London, England, Electoral Registers, 1902-1970. This collection includes searchable transcripts and images of electoral registers taken from the City of Westminster Archives Centre.
Ancestry
London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965. This database contains selected annual lists of names and residences of people in London who were eligible to vote in elections, provided in association with The London Archives.
Ancestry
London, England, Overseer Returns, 1863-1894. This database contains overseers’ returns of electors, listing people who have claimed the right to vote in a parish from which electoral registers were produced. Provided in association with The London Archives.
FamilySearch
England, London Electoral Registers, 1847-1913. This collection contains transcribed electoral registers with original images containing lists of names and addresses of registered voters filmed at The London Archives.
RootsUK
London Electoral Roll 2005
Regional Coverage
Findmypast
Millions of historical England, Wales and Scotland voting lists have been digitised and published exclusively at Findmypast. Coverage includes:
- London, Lambeth Electoral Registers, 1832-1886.
- Wales, Monmouthshire Electoral Registers, 1832-1889.
- Greater Manchester Electoral Registers, 1820-1940.
- Cheshire Electoral Registers, 1842-1900.
- Leicestershire Electoral Registers, 1836-1970.
- Norfolk Electoral Registers, 1832-1915.
- Kent Electoral Registers, 1570-1907.
- Scotland, Linlithgowshire (West Lothian), Electoral Registers 1864-1931.
- Scotland, Dundee & Forfarshire (Angus) Electoral Registers, 1857-1939.
To view the full coverage or restrict and filter your search to a county or place or dataset click on ‘Browse Record Set’ on the ‘Electoral Rolls in Census, land & surveys in United Kingdom’ search page.
Ancestry
Ancestry offers a comprehensive collection of electoral register records for England and Wales, Key databases include:
- London Electoral Registers, 1832-1965, produced in partnership with The London Archives.
- Aberdeen City and Former Counties of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1832-1976.
- Edinburgh Electoral Registers, 1832-1966.
- West Yorkshire Electoral Registers, 1840-1962.
- Surrey Electoral Registers, 1832-1962.
- Buckinghamshire Electoral Registers, 1832 1971
- East Sussex, England, Electoral Registers, 1705-1963.
- West Sussex, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1963.
- Liverpool Electoral Registers, 1832-1970.
- Gloucestershire Electoral Registers, 1832-1974.
- Shropshire, Electoral Registers and Poll Books, 1676-1954
- Worcestershire Electoral Registers, 1837-1974.
- Glamorganshire, Wales, Electoral Registers, 1832-1978.
- Midlands England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965. This database contains voters lists, including electoral registers, burgess rolls, poll books, and absent voters lists, for Birmingham and some of north Warwickshire.
To see available coverage, click on ‘View all in Card Catalogue’ from the start page.
The Genealogist
The Genealogist offers a range of electoral registers as searchable book images which can be searched by name or browsed page by page. The London 2005 Electoral Roll is fully searchable. See site for full county coverage.
MyHeritage
Collections include electoral register records from Kent County between the years 1570 and 1907, registers from Norfolk between 1844 and 1952.
FamilySearch
Coverage includes West Glamorgan Electoral Registers, 1839-1925; Cheshire register of electors 1842-1900; Northumberland Electoral Registers; Norfolk Register of Electors, 1844-1952; Indexed and browsable images of Kent Register of Electors, 1570-1907; Browsable images of Northumberland Electoral Registers; London Electoral Registers, 1847-1913.
Midlands Historical Data
Coverage includes Birmingham Electoral Registers & Burgess Rolls, Birmingham Absent Voters List, 1918 and North Warwickshire Electoral Register, 1836.
Hertfordshire Names Online
Miscellaneous Names Index: Absent Voters, 1918-1931: From 1918 separate registers were kept of anyone who had applied to vote by post or proxy. The majority of entries are for members of the armed forces.
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies
The Cheshire First World War Servicemen’s Index: Spring 1919 Absent Voters’ lists online. The database provides details of Cheshire ancestors serving in WWI covering all nine Cheshire constituencies.
Cornwall OPC Database
Search Voters Lists for parliamentary elections covering Cornwall.
Essex Archives Online
Search images of the county electoral registers for a range of dates between 1833 and 1883, plus 1918 and 1929.
Herefordshire History
Browse the Hereford Parliamentary Division Electoral Register, 1931
Ancestry
West Dumbartonshire, Scotland, Electoral Registers and Burgess Roll, 1600-1846 and 1914-1918. This collection contains electoral registers of voters in West Dumbartonshire, Scotland between 1914 and 1918. The collection also includes a roll of burgesses and guild brethren between 1600 and 1846.
Also look for electoral register transcriptions at the individual county pages at GENUKI.
CD Roms
GenFair
Browse tens of thousands of family history products including electoral registers and poll books covering towns and counties from hundreds of suppliers. The largest range of products covering the British Isles and overseas. Check site for full coverage)
S & N Genealogy Supplies
Electoral registers and Poll books covering London, Westminster, Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Sussex, York, Yorkshire)
UK Genealogy Archives
Register of Electors – Calne, Wilts 1853; The Poll Book for West Norfolk, 1865)
Midlands Historical Data
(Birmingham Electoral Registers & Burgess Rolls, includes the Birmingham Absent Voters List, 1918)
Wessex Centre for History and Archaeology
Hampshire and Surrey County Council Elections: 1889-1974. Edited, with introductory essays by Roger Ottewill)
