Annual household canvass

Every year we write to you to check who lives in your household. We use this information to update our Register of Electors to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote is able to. This is called the annual household canvass.

Most people will not need to respond to a letter from us if the information we hold for their household is correct.

All households in Sandwell will be sent a letter in July or August showing the names of the people who live in their home.

The most important thing is that you read the letter we send you very carefully. The letter will tell you whether you need to respond or not.

What you need to do

If the letter shows a list of people living in your home and it is correct, and the letter tells you that if the information is correct you do not need to do anything, then you don't need to respond. The letter will state this clearly at the top.

If the letter shows a list of people living in your home and it is wrong, you need to let us know. You will be able to do this online or by phone.

If your letter states you must respond, please make sure you do whether the information we hold for your household is correct or not.

You will be able to respond to confirm or change your household details online, by text, by phone or by returning the form by post.

What if I don't respond?

If the letter says you must respond and we haven't heard from you, we will send a reminder. If you still do not respond, we will call you to make sure you respond. If you do not respond to this letter, we will send a reminder. If you still do not respond, we may visit you or call you to make sure you respond.

So it's really important that you respond as soon as possible if your letter states that you should. It's a legal requirement that you respond to the letter if it says you must respond.

Translated resources

We have translated information about the annual canvass to download in community languages. Download leaflets in Polish, Urdu, Bengali, Kurdish and Punjabi.

You can also find out how to translate our website.