North Norfolk District Council – Annual Canvass 2021
Date published: 11th August 2021
Local residents are being warned not to lose their voice on decisions that affect them by making sure their electoral registration details are up to date.
The annual canvass ensures that North Norfolk District Council can keep the electoral register up to date, identifying any residents who are not registered to vote so that they can be encouraged to do so.
Since Canvass Reform in 2020 a property may not need to respond to the letter if there are no changes to the household and if all registered residents have been successfully data matched with the Department for Work and Pensions or by using local data. Your letter will tell you if you are required to respond or not.
Steve Blatch, Electoral Registration Officer at North Norfolk District Council said:
“It’s important that residents look out for messages from North Norfolk District Council, so we can make sure we have the right details on the electoral register for every address in the District.
“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register to vote, the easiest way is online, or we’ll send you information explaining how to do this in the post.”
“As we carry out this important work to update the electoral register we continue to follow public health guidelines, including respecting social distancing’’.
People who have moved recently are particularly encouraged to look out for the voter registration messages from North Norfolk District Council and check the details. Research by the Electoral Commission, published in 2019, indicates that recent home movers are far less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. Across Great Britain, 92% of people who have been at their property for more than sixteen years will be registered, compared to 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than one year.
Melanie Davidson, Head of Support and Improvement at the Electoral Commission, said:
“It’s really important that everyone who is entitled to vote is able to do so. Checking the messages that you will get from your local authority is the easiest way to see if you’re registered to vote. If you’re not, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local authority when it is needed and register to vote online.”
Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.
Any residents who have any questions can contact their local registration team by email at register@north-norfolk.gov.uk or by calling 01263 516046.