Save your vote and save your money, say Rother

Households in Rother will shortly receive their 2008-2009 voter registration forms.

In a statement this week, Rother said: "Like last year, voters who have no changes to their personal details on the pre-printed forms can also register by telephone or through the Internet.

"To register by telephone dial the free phone number 0800 1976193 and enter the unique code on the form using a touchtone telephone.

"To register by Internet type in the following website address http://www.registerbyinternet.com/rother enter the unique code and follow the on screen instructions.

"The law requires that householders respond to the registration forms in some manner, that is, by post, telephone or the Internet.

"However, despite last year's plea by Derek Stevens, the council's chief executive, 25% of householders in Rother did not respond to the first form. This prompted us to send reminders at additional expense to the Council Tax-payer. Even after the reminders were sent we were left with nearly 8,000 households who still did not respond which required us to personally visit those properties.

"These personal visits are costly and time consuming and have an impact on the Council's budgets and the services it can provide."

Those households that do not respond could not only lose their right to vote but could find that their credit ratings are adversely impacted if they are either removed from the register of electors or do not appear on it at all. This affects people's ability to open bank accounts, obtain mortgages, loans and even mobile phones.

The chief executive said: "Again, I urge residents to respond to the first form as soon as possible and would like to remind them that a General Election could be called any time between now and May 2010.

"To vote at any election you have to be on the register.

"As with last year, we will commence calling on non-responding properties in the six-week period from the middle of October to the end of November."

All council-appointed canvassers will be issued with identity cards but if anyone has any concerns over the legitimacy of any caller saying that they are carrying out a canvass for the council, they should ring the council's elections office on 01424 787826.