What is the Church Electoral Roll?

Download an Electoral Roll Form (see bottom of this page) and return to Howard Gray (PCC Secretary) via the Parish Office.

In the Church of England, it is your parish’s register of electors; it is the list of those qualified to vote at the annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) where the elections take place for: The Parochial Church Council (The PCC), and the parish’s representatives on the Deanery Synod.

The Electoral Roll is also our membership list, the number we can count upon as committed members of the Parish. Each church has an electoral roll officer. The Electoral Roll officer is Howard Gray, also the PCC Secretary.

Who is the Electoral Roll for?
The Church Electoral Roll is for lay persons only. Retired clergy are still clergy and therefore not eligible for inclusion.

Who can be included on the Roll?
To be entitled to be included on the Roll a lay person must be:

a. Baptised
b. over 16 years of age on or before the date of the annual parochial church meeting.
c. either – a member of the Church of England, or a Church in Communion with the Church of England, and resident in the parish. (There is no requirement to go to church regularly)

or – a member of the Church of England, or a Church in communion with the Church of England, and resident in another parish, but habitually attending worship in the chosen parish for at least 6 months prior to enrolment (unless prevented from doing so by illness or other sufficient cause).
or – a member of a Church subscribing to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, such as Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, URC, etc (in other words, most mainstream Christian churches but not, for example, Unitarians or Jehovah’s Witnesses) and prepared to declare themselves a member of the Church of England, and having habitually attended worship in the chosen parish for at least 6 months prior to enrolment.
d. A person must also have signed an application form for enrolment.

Can I be on more than one Electoral Roll?
A person can be on the Roll of several parishes if fulfilling the above criteria, but can only use one parish for the purposes of membership of the PCC, elections to synods, etc.

When can I add my name to the Roll?
Names can be added to or removed from the Roll during the course of the year, except between the completion of the Roll and the close of the APCM. All such changes must be reported to the next meeting of the PCC.

I live in the Parish; won’t I automatically be on the Roll?
Living in the parish will not automatically add you to the electoral roll.

I attend one of the parish’s churches regularly; won’t I automatically be on the Roll?
Coming to church regularly, giving regularly or completing a welcome slip will not automatically add you to the electoral roll.

How do I add my name to the Roll?
You can only be added to the electoral roll if you complete, sign and return your form to the electoral roll officer.

How can I remove my name from the Roll?
You can be removed from the electoral roll by writing to the electoral roll officer.

When you complete a form it is also a good idea to send in a Consent form too. Under GDPR we are required to gain your permission to use your contact details to pass on to you details of what is happening in our parish.

Download both the Electoral Roll Form and also the GDPR consent return them to Howard Gray (The Data Protection Officer) via the Parish Office.