2025 Preparation of a New Church Electoral Roll

Every 6 years a completely new Electoral Roll (ER) must be created, and 2025 is one of these years.

This means that everyone who is currently on their ER and wishes to remain so must apply again, the same as new members would do during a revision year.

Below is a short step by step summary of the Church Representation Rules (CRR), for the preparation of a new ER, a full guide can be found here.

• Form 3 – Notice of Preparation of a New Electoral Roll must be displayed near the main door of every church in the parish at least 2 months before the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, (APCM);
• This notice must stay up for at least 14 days (but can remain up for longer);
• Announcements must made in church during the 14 days (at least) to explain that a new ER is being prepared this year and that everyone must complete a new application form, (Form 1), if they wish to be included on the ER again (even if they were on the previous roll);
• All reasonable efforts must be made to let everyone on the existing ER know that a new ER is being prepared (unless they are no longer qualified to be on the roll, for instance, someone who is known to have moved away and no longer worships regularly in the parish);
• If you hold contact details for people who are on the existing roll, you can use those to inform them that a new roll is being prepared;
• Everyone who wishes to be included on the new ER must complete Form 1 to be on the new ER;
• The new ER must be completed between 15 and 28 days beforethe date of the APCM.

The newly completed ER (names only) must be published (usually by displaying near the main entrance of each church in the parish) at least 14 days before the date of the APCM – during which time corrections can be made (e.g. correcting a misspelling) but no new names can be added or any names removed.

The Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary or ER officer of a PCC must, no later than July 1st, submit the total number of names on the roll of the parish as it was at the date of the APCM – via email is fine to Jane Dobbs, Electoral Roll Officer.

Qualifications to be on the new ER:

To be on the ER 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 6 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 6 months prior to enrolment.

Full qualifications are on the forms – which are available to download here, or from the Parish Resources website, or from the Church of England website, or if you would prefer to receive paper copies please email Jane Dobbs, 023 9289 9661, who will be more than happy to assist you.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM)

Forms for an Annual Parochial Church Meeting can be found below: