Annual Canvass

The Annual Canvass is a process to update the Electoral Register. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are legally required to keep the register of eligible voters up to date.

From August, we will be contacting every household in the Borough, by email, phone or post, to find out if the details held on the electoral register are correct. The type of contact you receive depends on the information we hold for your property.

Why should I respond to the Annual Canvass?

The law states that you must respond to the annual electoral canvass if you are asked to do so. If you do not reply, it will affect your right to vote, and it may also affect your ability to open a bank account, get credit, a loan or a mortgage as the full register is checked by authorised credit agencies.

By completing the registration process, you will ensure that you are entitled to vote in all upcoming elections.

Do not register only when you need a mortgage or finance – due to statutory processes and timings it can take several weeks before your entry is visible to credit agencies.

You can save time and expense to the taxpayer and avoid receiving reminders and personal visits by responding to the canvass form promptly after you have received it.

Respond to the Annual Canvass online

The fastest way to respond to the Annual Canvass is online.

Once you have received the annual canvass form, please complete the following steps:

• click the button below to visit the Household Response website;
• enter the two security codes that are included on your form to access your household details;
• make any necessary changes and click 'Submit'.

Respond by telephone or text

If there are no changes to the information we hold, you can respond by telephone or text. Follow the instructions on the form you receive.

Reminders will be sent to households where we do not receive a response and we encourage you to respond as quickly as possible.