The annual household canvass

Why do you need to know who lives here?

The annual canvass is important as we use this information to update our Register of Electors to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote is able to. We and all other councils must, by law, do this every year.

When will I get my letter?

Annual canvass letters are usually delivered in July or August.

Do I need to respond to the letter you send?

Read your letter carefully. It will state at the top if you need to respond or not.

If the details for the people in your household are correct and it states at the top of the letter you do not need to respond unless something is wrong, then you don’t need to do anything.

If you need to respond because the details shown for your household are incorrect or need updating, then you can respond either online, by phone or by returning the form. Read your letter for the details.

Why have I not received a prepaid envelope to return my letter?

We’re confident that the information we hold for the majority of households is correct and that most people will not need to let us know of any changes. We are some residents to only respond to the form if there is a change to be made and that residents do so only online or via the telephone. For this reason a Freepost return envelope is not included like previous years.

For those households who receive a letter asking them to confirm details for their household regardless of whether the information we hold is correct or not, there is a pre-paid envelope provided.

You can also confirm or change the details we hold for your household online, by phone or by text.

You would only need to post your form back if you are unable to use the phone number, text facility or website.