2025 - Preparation of a New Electoral Roll: a brief guide

In accordance with the Church Representation Rules (CRR), 2025 is a year in which an entirely new church electoral roll must be prepared in advance of the annual parochial church meeting APCM in every parish in the Church of England.

• Diocese of Derby Guide - aims to help you through the steps to prepare your Electoral Roll.
• The forms you will need can be found via this link: Electoral Roll and APCM.

Additional information can also be found at the Church of England Parish Resources website: https://www.parishresources.org.uk/pccs/apcms/

Annual Meetings, Accounts and Church Electoral Rolls Guidance on New Church Representation Rules (which came into effect 01/01/2020) and subsequent amendments.

About the Electoral Roll:

• Each Parish should have one Electoral Roll, even if there is more than one place of worship within the Parish
• At least 14 days before the proposed revision takes places, a notice must remain on display
• Revision of the Roll is completed not less than 15 days or more than 28 days before the APCM
• After the Roll is revised, no names to be added or removed until after the APCM
• The APCM must be held in the period 1 January and 31 May
• Number certified includes members of daughter or district churches

 To be on the Electoral Roll a person must be baptised, at least 16 years old and either:

• living in the parish and a member of the Church of England (or a church in communion with the Church of England)
• not resident in the parish but a member of the Church of England (or a Church in communion with the Church of England) and has regularly attended worship in the Parish during the six months prior to enrolment or
• a member in good standing of a Church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and they are prepared to declare themselves a member of the Church of England, having regularly attended worship during the six months prior to enrolment.

 Preparing a New Electoral Roll (in 2025):

• Must be done every six years (last completed 2019)
• Notice displayed near the main door of every church in the parish
• At least two months before the APCM
• Notice must stay up for at least 14 days
• Announcements made in church during the 14 days that the notice is up to say that the roll is being prepared
• PCC must ensure that reasonable efforts are made to let everyone on the old roll know that a new Roll is being prepared
• Exception is anyone no longer qualified to be on the roll (e.g. someone who no longer worships regularly in the parish and lives outside the parish)
• Members of the previous roll need to fill in applications (no one is automatically included)
• New people may also apply by filling in an application  for enrolment
• New roll must be complete on a fixed date between 15 and 28 days before the APCM
• Completed new roll is posted near the main church door at least 14 days  before the APCM
• During this time corrections may be made (e.g. correcting a misspelling) but no new names added or removed
• A copy must be sent to Church House no later than 1 July 2025

Timetable for Preparing the New Electoral Roll (2025)

Annually after the APCM:

• Result of Elections completed
• Electoral Roll Certificate (SG7) completed and signed
• Copy sent to Diocesan Secretary (Church House, Full Street, Derby DE1 3DR or enquiries@derby.anglican.org) no later than 31 May 2025
• Copy of Electoral Roll Certificate posted near the principal door of the church for 14 days (and also posted at doors of any daughter churches for 14 days).

Revising the Electoral Roll (next required 2026)

At least two weeks before the APCM, display a notice that the roll will be revised

People will need to fill in an application if:

• Each Parish must display the revised roll (every name - no other personal data), electronic or otherwise, for at least 14 days
• make a copy of the roll available for inspection (on a reasonable request)
• Each Parish should have one Electoral Roll, even if there is more than one place of worship within the parish
• When someone leaves the Parish and the name is removed from the Electoral Roll, a notice should be sent to their new parish
• When someone applies to be added to the Electoral Roll, a notice should be sent to their former Parish Electoral Roll Officer.
• Announcements made in church on each of the Sundays while the notice is displayed
• Revision of the Roll completed not less than 15 days or more than 28 days before the APCM, which must be by 30 June 2021 (originally 31st May, but extended because of lockdown).
• After the Roll is revised, no names to be added or removed until after the APCM
• Number certified includes members of daughter or district churches.

Timetable for Revising  the Electoral Roll:

Electoral Roll & GDPR:

The Church Representation Rules (CRR) require publication of the Electoral Roll, so the publication of the roll will be considered a legitimate activity of a not-for-profit body under the General Data Protection Regulation. 

The CRR prescribes the relevant forms for PCC administrative matters, so the Electoral Roll forms should not be altered.   

The forms state that the names of individuals will be published on or near the church door, so if they do not object by applying to have their name entered on the roll they are consenting to the publication of their name in the manner set out.

For further guidance regarding GDPR, visit the Church of England Parish Resources website: https://www.parishresources.org.uk/gdpr/

>> Download these guidance notes as a PDF