Residents in Cardiff are being reminded of the importance of signing up to the electoral register or they could face problems not only voting but in applying for mortgages, car loans and even for a mobile phone contract.
The electoral register crucially allows people to vote in Local, General, Assembly and European elections but it is also an important piece of information for most credit scoring systems and not being registered may prevent lenders from being able to match you to your credit file.
When banks and lenders are approached for loans they will check your credit file and not being on the register might change your credit score and give you a low credit rating. If the score is too low this can effect whether you can borrow, how much you can borrow and even the interest rate at which you are borrowing. Credit reference agencies update their details from the electoral register every month, so registering can quickly improve your credit score.
It’s not just your credit score that can be affected. Many letting agents will perform reference checks on future tenants which may include the electoral register.
Executive Member for Finance and Service Delivery, Cllr Mark Stephens, said: “It’s very important that people include their names in the register. The right to vote is important and being on the electoral register helps you to express your opinion on issues that affect you.
“Many people are also unaware that the register can affect other parts of their life including their credit rating. It’s simple to register and I would urge people who are not already registered to get in touch with the Electoral Services team.”
