Annual canvass

Annual electoral register canvass

Annual electoral register canvass

We are required by law to keep the register of eligible voters up to date. From August/September each year we contact every household to find out if the details on the electoral register are correct. This is known as the ‘annual canvass’.  Being registered gives you the right to vote at elections and could also improve your credit rating or help you if you need to apply for credit.

Canvasser visits now underway

In the last couple of months, every household will have received either one or more letters and/or emails from us, containing information on what residents needed to do to make sure that their household was fully registered.  Reminders were sent as required, and we are about to start on the final stage of information gathering which involves a team of canvassers visiting properties where responses are still outstanding.  The personal canvass stage will run from Friday 10 October, to Monday 3 November.

Our canvassers will carry identification, which residents can double check by calling Electoral Services (our canvassers will have numbers for the team at weekends and evenings).  Their working hours are limited to 0900-1830 Monday to Friday and 0900-1800 Saturday/Sunday.  Canvassers will not need to enter a home.  If no-one is in when a canvasser calls, they will leave a card and form, which will provide information on how residents can respond.

Our communications generally

We are mindful of the prevalence of scams, particularly in email form.  We have therefore included relevant assurances in our communications, and details of how electors can cross check that our communications are genuine.  For information:

• Our emails will be sent out from the email address electoral.services.tewkesbury.borough.council@notifications.service.gov.uk with the subject line of ‘Electoral Register Annual Check – Action required’ or ‘REMINDER – Electoral Register Annual Check – Action required’, as appropriate.
• Our letters will be addressed to the ‘Resident/Occupier’, carry the Council’s logo and address details, and include one of the following headings: ‘You must respond so we can check who is eligible to register to vote’ or ‘Is the electoral register information correct for this address?’.
• If we need to call someone, the call will be made from either 01684 272025, 01684 272043, 01684 272028 or 01684 272050 (although the location may show as Malvern).

 In terms of responding to our communications:

There is an online automated response service, available 24/7.  We have appointed Civica Election Services to run this service on our behalf, and it can be accessed using the following address link:

 https://householdresponse.com/tewkesburybc

This link will take the elector to Civica’s Tewkesbury page to enable them to complete their household response. They will need to enter the unique security codes (Part 1 and Part 2) included in their letter/email along with the postcode of the property.

Where no changes are required to the electoral registration details, electors can also respond via one of the following options:

• Call 0800 884 0701 – they will require Part 1 and Part 2 of their security code (included in their letter/email); or
• Text NOCHANGE followed by Part 1 and Part 2 of their security code (included in their letter/email) to 80212.

It is important that you respond when asked to confirm or update your details to avoid reminders having to be sent or someone needing to visit you to get this information.  This will save paper, time and money.

Notwithstanding all of the above, if you or anyone is in any doubt about a communication, please do not respond before getting in touch with us via email (elections@tewkesbury.gov.uk) or phone (01684 272025) during normal office hours.

If someone has moved address?

If an elector receives a communication from us regarding an address they are no longer living at, they should either email or call us.

New residents

Any new residents who are eligible to register will need to make an individual registration application to complete the second stage of the process – simply adding names to the household response does not complete their registration. Applications can be made:

• Either online
• Or via a paper form – by using the information provided to us, we will send separate paper individual registration forms to those residents
• Or by calling the team on 01684 272025.

When making their application, they will need to provide their date of birth and National Insurance Number.

Publicity

In addition to this website information, we will issue media releases and provide regular reminders via social media channels at key stages in the canvass process/timetable.  Please keep an eye out for these communications.

Privacy Statement - Electoral Registration

The Electoral Registration Officer is the Data Controller.  Their lawful basis for collecting personal information is that the processing is necessary in order to perform a task in the public interest as set out in the Representation of the People Act 1983 and related legislation.

The Electoral Registration Officer is legally required to process your personal information securely and comply with data protection legislation.

If you opted-out of the open register, your name and address can only be used for electoral purposes (including matching it against other data sources to support the electoral register) and other limited purposes specified in law.  The law allows your information to be used for democratic engagement activities (by political parties, candidates, and agents), crime detection, jury summoning, and credit application identity checks.

If you did not opt-out of the open register your name and address can be bought by anyone and used for lots of purposes, including direct marketing.

Alistair Cunningham, Electoral Registration Officer.