Revising the Electoral Roll and Preparation of a New Electoral Roll: a brief guide

This brief guide from the Diocese of Diocese aims to help you through the steps to revise / prepare your Electoral Roll.

Full guidance and the forms you will need can be found in the Resources for Secretaries section.

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

About the Electoral Roll:

• The Church Electoral Roll is the foundation for all Church governance
• The Electoral Roll contains the names & addresses of everyone who can vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM)
• The Electoral  Roll is revised every year
• Every six years a new Electoral Roll must be prepared (last one prepared in 2019)

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.

Revising the Electoral Roll:

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:

• They have  moved into the parish
• They have joined the church
• They have turned 16 (since the last revision of the Roll)

• 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 before 31st May)
• 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.

Preparing a New Electoral Roll (next due 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

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 1st July 2020.
• 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).

Timetable for Revising  the Electoral Roll:

Timetable for Preparing the New 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

New Church Representation Rules came into effect on 1st January 2020.

The Measure which introduced them also made changes to two other Measures which affect our Annual Meetings.

>> Download the Guidance on New Rolls [PDF]

You can download the forms you will need for your APCM here.