The Annual Canvass and Rolling Register explained

The Annual Canvass

The Annual Canvass is conducted every year to fulfil a legislative obligation placed on local authorities to ensure that the Register of Electors remains complete and accurate. In order to do this the Council delivers a canvass form to every household in the District.

The canvass normally runs from 1 September through until 30 November and is based on residency on 15 October. Delivery of the canvass forms is made simultaneously across the district during the first week of September.

If households do not respond to the form they will be sent a reminder. If they do not respond to the reminder a canvasser will call at their house and try to get a form completed at the door. Avoiding the bother of a canvasser knocking at your door is easy though: just respond to the canvass form in good time.

Pre-printed on the canvass forms are the household registration details as recorded on the current register. Each elector is listed alongside other relevant information such as nationality and whether or not they are eligible for jury duty (dependent on whether under 70).

Householders are asked to respond to the form by either confirming the details are correct or, if incorrect, providing the correct details.

If the information pre-printed on the form is correct there are three ways in which you can respond in order to confirm it:

1. By using the free-phone number on the form, following the instructions given and using the 10 character security code printed on your form.
2. By using the internet registration service (details can be found on your canvass form).
3. By signing and returning the form to Electoral Services.

If the information on the form is incorrect or incomplete the form can be used to make any necessary changes:

• Electors who are no longer resident can be removed by crossing out their details.
• New electors can be added by writing their details on the form.
• Registration details can be changed by putting a tick in the appropriate box or crossing out a pre-printed tick where necessary.

The information collected during the Annual Canvass is used to compile the Register of Electors for the following year. This Register is published on 1 December and is in force for 12 months.

Rolling Registration

Rolling registration allows the Electoral Services Office to add new residents to the electoral register outside of the annual canvass period. This happens at the beginning of each month during the months of January to September, as long as the individual making the application is qualified and completes an electoral registration form. Deletions and amendments are also made each month during the months of January to September.

Applications for registration must be received by the Electoral Services office by a cut off date each month. Applications received on or before the cut off date will be included on the register on the first working day of the following month.

Rolling registration dates for 2013