Stroud District residents are being urged to ensure their electoral registration details are up to date through the annual canvass.
The email should not be confused for a scam – all emails will be sent from elections@stroud.gov.uk with a subject line of ‘Household Electoral Register Communication – Stroud District Council’.
The Electoral Registration Officer has a duty to maintain the electoral register. The annual canvass ensures that Stroud District Council can keep the electoral register up to date, identifying any residents who are not registered so that they can be encouraged to do so. They would then be able to take part in any future elections.
The way the council conducts the annual canvass changed in 2020, and now residents will simply receive an email or a letter if the resident hasn’t provided an email address or did not respond to the initial email.
Stroud District Council is choosing to send emails to help reduce administrative pressures on Electoral Registration Officers as well as the financial burden on taxpayers; as there will be a significant reduction in the amount of paperwork sent and returned by post.
Stroud District Council Chief Executive, Kathy O’Leary said:
“It’s important that residents keep an eye out for an email or letter from Stroud District Council, so that we have the right details on the electoral register for every address in the district.
You must register to vote. If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear on the electoral register. The easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, or we’ll send you information explaining how to do this in the post. We are aware there have been many scam emails/texts going around the past year, so it is important that we inform our residents of what to expect so that people know to respond.”
Residents who have recently moved, are not registered or whose information is incomplete may be contacted via a number of ways, and are urged to respond to ensure they are correctly added to the Register of Electors.
People who have moved recently are particularly encouraged to look out for the voter registration messages from Stroud District Council and check the details.
Research by the Electoral Commission 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.
For more information on the annual canvass you can visit www.stroud.gov.uk/elections or if you have any questions you can email elections@stroud.gov.uk
