Annual Canvass - Frequently asked questions

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about this year's annual check of the electoral register which is called the annual canvass.

What is the annual canvass?

The annual canvass is a legal process that the Council must complete each year. It means the council must contact all households to check that voter details in each household are correct on the electoral register. It ensures that all residents who are eligible to vote are on the electoral register and those who are no longer entitled are removed.

It is also an opportunity for voters to update their preferences on the open register and the method in which they would like to vote (i.e. at the polling station, by post, etc)

Why did I receive an email this year? Was it genuine?

The Council has changed the way it is checking voter details this year to help make the process more efficient, reduce the number of forms being delivered and help the environment.

This means that approximately 43,000 households received an email from the Council in the first instance. The email was sent to households where the Council thought there were unlikely to be any changes to the information and residents previously registered an email address with the Electoral Services team.

More than one person in the household may have received the email however only one person needed to respond.

The email was sent on Wednesday June 14, 2023 from the following email address: elections@charnwood.gov.uk.

Residents are asked to respond to the email by Wednesday June 21, 2023 to confirm the information was correct or to advise the Council of any changes.

If a response to the email was not received by 10am or the Council does not hold an email address for anyone in the property, a paper enquiry form will be delivered to the household by Friday August 11, 2023.

Residents are reminded to stay alert to email scams. We will never ask for your bank details in an email. If you have any doubts or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Electoral Services team.

How does the Council know there is unlikely to be any changes to the voter’s details in my household?

Before contacting households in the borough, the information currently held on the electoral register is matched against data held by the Department of Work and Pensions.

How well the data matches will determine how we contact each property in the borough.

If all of the data matches for a property, then we will email (if an email address has been provided) people in the household asking them to check the data and confirm it is correct. Only one person in the household needs to respond.

Where we do not hold an email address for someone in the property or we do not receive a response to the email, we are required to issue a paper form to the address.

If for any reason there is not a complete data match, we will send a paper form to your address which will need completing by law.

Why did I receive an email, but my neighbour hasn’t?

There could be a number of reasons.

Your neighbours’ may have recently changed their address and therefore will receive an enquiry form in the post.

It may also be because they have not given us permission to contact them via email.

I’ve missed the deadline to respond to the email. What do I need to do?

Those who have not responded to the email will receive a canvass form through their door by Friday August 11, 2023.

Full details of how to complete the form online, by phone, via text or by post are all contained in the form.

Why have I received a paper form when I responded to the email?

A small number of households may still receive a paper form after responding to the email . This is because email responses were processed up until 10am on Wednesday June 21, 2023. 

If your email response was received after 10am on Wednesday June 21, 2023, you are likely to receive a paper form.

If you receive a paper form, please follow the instructions on the form and respond by Monday August 14, 2023.

I haven’t got a prepaid envelope to return the letter.

Changes can be made by responding online, or by phone. These are more cost and time efficient. If you respond using one of these methods, you do not need to send the paper letter back. If you are required to respond and you are not able to respond by any of these methods we will send out a full canvass form with a prepaid envelope in a few weeks. 

If you still need assistance, you can complete our online form or call us on 01509 634546. 

I’ve responded to the letter am I registered now?

That depends.

If your name was pre-printed on the letter then you are already registered to vote. If you had to add your name to the property online or had to write your name on the form then you are not registered to vote yet. We will need more information in order to verify your identity and add you to the electoral register. 

After your response to the annual canvass has been processed, any new residents will be sent an invitation to register form to complete. This form will be sent to you by email or post. To complete this form you will need to provide your National Insurance number and date of birth. Alternatively, you can complete this online at any time, visit register to vote (GOV.UK).

You have already sent us a letter, but I have received a further reminder?

We have sent you a reminder because we did not receive a canvass response by Monday 14 August 2023. We must legally send a reminder form as part of our duty to maintain the electoral register.

If you have received a reminder, please follow the instructions on the form and respond by midnight on Friday 15 September 2023. It is important that you respond to the form, even if there have been no changes to your household.

If you do not respond by the deadline, you may receive a personal visit from one of our canvassers who will assist in collecting a response at the doorstep.