Confirm your registered voting details
Each year our Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) conducts an annual canvass of all households to check that the information on the electoral register is up to date.
How it works
We will contact you asking you to confirm or update the details we hold for the people living in your household.
We will either:
- email you from [email protected]
- send you a letter (View an example of the email or letter we send, PDF, 140 KB)
You can be fined or may be unable to vote if you do not respond.
Where available, we will use email. From October, we will also knock on doors to check details.
Confirm or update your details
You can confirm your details or make changes online.
You'll need to:
- confirm your postcode
- enter the security codes shown on your email or letter
By post
You can return an A3 canvass form by post (the form will include a prepaid envelope for returns).
By text or phone if nothing has changed
If nothing has changed since the last canvass, you can also respond by:
- texting 'NO CHANGE' followed by both parts of your security code to 80212 (the code is on your letter or email)
- telephoning 0800 884 0701
Who you need to tell us about
We will need to know about people at the address who are:
- residents with their usual address in England
- aged 16 or over (even though they won't be able to vote until they're 18)
One of the below must also apply:
- they're a British or Irish citizen
- they have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man - or they do not need permission - and they're a:
- Commonwealth citizen
- citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain
- citizen of another EU country, if they have had permission to enter or stay - or not needed permission - since 31 December 2020, and this has continued without a break
You're legally required to confirm these details, even if you're already registered to vote.
What happens next
If you respond online, you should receive a confirmation email from [email protected].
If you tell us that new people are living at the property or have moved somewhere else, we will send each eligible person a letter or email asking them to register to vote.
You can also register to vote online at GOV.UK: Register to Vote.
Contact the Electoral Register Office
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01296 798 141
If you don't provide the information required:
- there is a criminal penalty up to £1,000
- you may be unable to vote in elections
- you may have difficulty in getting credit for mortgages, credit cards and mobile phones, as the electoral register is often used to carry out credit checks
Not all households are contacted at the same time during the canvass, so don't be alarmed if you don't receive it at the same time as others.
If you haven't received an email or letter with your security code, contact us so we can look into this for you.
The penalty for providing false information to an Electoral Registration Officer is either:
- imprisonment of up to 51 weeks
- on summary conviction, an unlimited fine
If you're applying for credit during the annual canvass and your electoral register status is not up to date on your credit report, lenders can still check other information such as where your credit accounts are held.
If you require written confirmation of your registration to vote, contact us.