St Bartholomew and All Saints Church

Wootton Bassett

Updated 16 February, 2010

Electoral Roll Frequently Asked Questions

(Taken from 'A Guide for Church Electoral Roll Officers'. Published by The Church Of England. Diocese of Salisbury.)

• Q: Who can go on the electoral roll?
• A: The church electoral roll is for lay persons only.
      Retired clergy are still clergy and are therefore not eligible for inclusion

• Q: Am I entitled to be included on the roll?
• A: To be entitled to be included on the roll a person must be:
 

a. Baptised

b. Over 16 years of age on or before the date of the parochial church meeting

c. Either - a member of the Church of England, or a church in the 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 the communion with the Church of
England, and resident in anther parish, but habitually attending worship in the chosen
parish for at least 6 months prior to enrollment (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.

• Q: Can I be on more than one electoral roll??
• A: 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.