Annual canvass
Every year the Electoral Registration Officer West Northamptonshire Council is legally required to conduct an annual canvass to ensure the electoral register is accurate and complete, for publication on 1st December.
The annual canvass, recently reformed by Government, requires the matching of registered electors against local and national data. Based on the level of data matched, a form of communication is sent to every residential property for all elector details to be checked and respond where indicated.
How you will be contacted
All communication sent to the property will be marked for the attention of “The Owner / Occupier”, in case registered electors move out and so that the current occupiers do not ignore our important mailings.
In some instances, response reminders will be sent directly to registered electors via email, telephone, text message, personal visit or paper form.
All contact will be easily identifiable as West Northamptonshire Council and we will only ask for limited information relating to voter registration such as name, nationality, date of birth and national insurance number.
If you suspect fraud, please contact the elections office.
Our Officers will only visit your property where a response is required and none has yet been received. Our officers will wear identification and adhere to COVID-19 guidelines in force at that time.
Responding to the Annual Canvass
Where all electors at a property are successfully matched against local / national data, a response is only required from the household if any information is incorrect.
Where all electors at a property are not successfully matched against local / national data, a response from the household is required, even if all information is correct.
Our communication with you, will indicate if you need to respond or not. Any household member aged 16 years or above can respond using the security codes displayed in our canvass communication. To respond please only use one of the following methods:
- visit the household response website to respond
- call (if no changes) 0800 197 9871.
- text (if no changes) “NOCHANGE” followed by security code to 80212
- post the completed form back using the self-addressed return envelope
Those that assist require greater assistance can contact the elections office.
- Electoral Register data is sent securely to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) database to be matched against their records. Elector’s names and addresses are matched against information held by the DWP. In addition to this the Electoral Registration Officer uses local information (eg council tax records) to carry out local data matching
- Where all people registered to vote at a property are successfully data matched with either sets of information, the property will follow the Route 1 canvass path
- If any people at a property cannot be successfully data matched, then the property will follow the Route 2 canvass path
- Care homes, nursing homes and certain properties that have a “responsible person” (eg a Duty Manager) will follow the Route 3 canvass path
- We will send each property a form with all elector details listed on it for you to check
- If there is currently no one registered to vote at the property, the form will state 'There is no one currently registered to vote at this address'
- If all the information on the form is correct, you do not need to contact us and will not need to do anything further
- If you need to make changes (such as add or remove someone at the property) go to the website and use the two security codes (unique to each property) on the front of the form to login and submit the information
- If unable to respond online and have changes to submit you can contact the elections office
- Please remember when you add someone to the form, they will also need to register themselves to vote online, by phone or paper form
- We will send each property a form with all registered elector details for you to check and respond
- If there is currently no one registered to vote at the property, the form will be blank
- We need a response for every property even if there are no changes to report
- You will be able to respond online to record no changes, add/remove someone from the property or make other changes. Simply go to the website and use the security codes on the form to login and submit any changes
- If you have no changes to submit, you can call our automated telephone number or send a text to our automated SMS phone number
- Alternatively, post the form back to us using the enclosed business reply envelope or contact the elections office
- If we do not receive a response to our form, we will make every attempt to get a response from you. This may include sending reminder forms, text / email, telephone calls, or visiting your property between September and November
- Please remember when you add someone to the form, they will also need to register themselves to vote online, by phone or paper form.
- Managers of residential care homes, school halls of residence and Houses of Multiple Occupation may be contacted directly by Electoral Services to confirm all occupants at a property. This will help us ensure everyone eligible is given ample opportunity to be registered to vote
- We need a response for every property even if there are no changes to report
Last updated 30 September 2021