To think I don't have to vote in my married name?

[DuelingFanjo]

A few weeks ago I received a form to do with voting and had to provide my national insurance number. The form was in my maiden name as is my passport, bank account and council tax bill.

I sent it back, signed in my maiden name, and today received a form telling me I had changed my name from my maiden name to my married name and I must send them my marriage certificate and fill in another form.

I don't want to vote in my married name. Everything i do is in my maiden name, I haven't changed anything into my married name apart from changing my name with my GP so that it matches my son's name. I actually did this while I was pregnant at the suggestion of the midwife.

Is it this (as it is connected to my NI number) that has triggered the response from the council? Am I going to have to go back to my GP to change my medical records?
Maybe I was beng unreasonable to change my name at the GP?

for e.g. a passport - fill in the form with the new surname and enclose the marriage certificate. It's pretty much the same for anything you want to change - inform them of your new surname and enclose the marriage certificate.

But the only way to legally change a name is by ded pol isn't it?

I mean, just by having my married name associated with my health record or my NI number, tat's nit really 'legally changing names' is it?

No, deed poll is not necessary. Officialdom will accept a marriage certificate. But there is no law about names - you can call yourself whatever you please, as long as there is no intent to deceive (eyebrows might be raised if you tried to change it to Elizabeth Windsor, unless your name is already Elizabeth and you marry a Mr Windsor...).

No, it's not, but it's generally accepted.

from .gov website:

Marriage and civil partnership

You don’t need a deed poll to take your partner’s surname. Send a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate to record-holders, eg benefits offices. Your documents will be updated for free.

Ok, so that ,Evans changing my name on my health record or on my NI record is not me officially or legally changing my name.

'that means'

It wouldn't be anything to do with your NHS / GP records, as they wouldn't dare use them for anything other than medical records. There is enough controversy linking medical records with medical records, without linking medical records with other things.

My NI number is attached to one of my names
my right to vote in the UK to the other

OUTRAGEOUS that they could ask you to alter your name
there is NO RESTRICTION on what you call yourself, so long as it is not for the purposes of fraud

I have passports, bank accounts, CRB checks and bills in both of my names
and like to keep it that way

I think they'll be fine once they've received your instruction re which name you want to use and seen proof that that person (maiden name) is the same person as the name currently registered against your NINO (clearly married name for some HMRC related reason). The marriage certificate achieves that. It's a faff, but the new system requires them to verify voters' identities against NI records, so their hands are probably a bit tied.

As Stella also said, I found maintaining two names in tandem quite tricky (usually, annoyingly for direct debit related reasons) but other people seem to manage. Maybe they run more bank accounts?