Annual Canvass 2024

What is the annual canvass?

Each year, we are obligated by law to perform an electoral registration review, commonly known as the annual canvass. The purpose of this review is to ensure the utmost accuracy of the electoral register.

Throughout the period from August to November, we reach out to all residential properties in the region to verify the eligibility of individuals for voter registration.

Expect to receive communication from us, either in the form of an email or a letter. Please review it attentively, as your response may be necessary.

How does the new canvass work?

The process starts with checking the Electoral Register against national government data.
Green indicates a positive match, while red indicates a negative match.
Households with green matches go down Route 1, potentially receiving an email or text first.
Households with at least one red match go down Route 2, receiving a Canvass Form (CF).
Defined properties (care homes, student halls) follow Route 3.

How to respond to your Canvass communication:

Please Read the information in the email/text carefully. Check the information on screen carefully before confirming that the information we hold is correct or informing us of any changes to your household details.

Received an email or text:
- Yes, respond.
- Visit Household Response Nottingham Page and log in using provided security codes.
- Confirm or update household details.
Received a letter that tells you to respond (CF):
- Yes, respond.
- Use Household Update Service with security codes in the letter.
- Confirm or update details using the online service, automated telephone response, or by texting "NO CHANGE" with security codes to 80212.
Received a letter that tells you to respond only if there are changes to be made (CCA):
- Only if changes are needed, respond.
- Use Household Response Nottingham Page with security codes.
- Confirm or update details only if necessary.
Reminder canvass form:
- Yes, respond.
- Use Household Response Nottingham Page with security codes.
- Confirm or update details using the online service, automated telephone response, or by texting "NO CHANGE" with security codes to 80212.

Ensure prompt response to avoid further reminders. Use the provided online services, telephone response, or return the form via post with the supplied envelope. Your participation ensures the completeness and accuracy of the Electoral Register.

The way in which Electoral Services contact you at the canvass has changed. If you have provided your email or telephone number in the past, Electoral Services can now request your information by email or text.

The email will be from nottingham.city.council.elections@notifications.service.gov.uk and the text from GOV.UK

Both will direct you to following website: The household update service (householdresponse.com)

You are asked to check your details online and confirm whether they are correct or whether you have any changes to make. If you respond to the email or text as soon as you receive it, you will not be sent a paper form or any further communication during the canvass.

If for any reason you are still unsure you can contact Electoral Services or visit the website at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/elections for further information.

Electoral Services will send a text or email to all residents at a property so that they all get an opportunity to respond, where they hold a telephone number or email address. Therefore, you must not have provided your contact details in the past but your partner/housemate did.

Adding your name to a canvass form or on the household response website does not mean that you are registered to vote. You will also need to complete a registration application.

You can do this at Register to vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We will send each person an Invitation to Register (ITR) form if they do not apply online.

An Invitation To Register (ITR) form is sent out to anybody whose details have been added to the Canvass Form but who haven’t registered to vote online.

Once we are notified by you that a new person is living at the property and they are is eligible to register. We send them the ITR to collect any more information required to complete the voter registration process.

People who receive an ITR can complete their voter registration

online at Register to vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Or by filling out and returning their ITR.

We cannot add people to the electoral register from the Canvass Form. You must complete your registration by providing relevant information, including your date of birth and National Insurance number. This can be checked against records held by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to verify their identity.

If you do not go online to register through the government website, or complete and return an ITR that is sent to you, we will not be able to add you to the electoral register and you will not be able to vote.

Please note that registering online or returning an ITR does not guarantee that we will be able to add you to the register of electors immediately. If the details you submit when registering do not match those held by DWP, we will contact you to request further information so we can confirm your identity and verify your electoral registration.

If you have moved into a new address recently please check that you are responding for your current address. If the household response service shows your previous address, please do not proceed and ignore the email.

It all depends on which form you have received. At the bottom of the form if it says CCA then this form is for households where we think the information may still be the same. If this is the case then you DO NOT need to respond. If the form says CF at the bottom, this is the form that we send to properties where we think that some of the information is incorrect. You MUST respond to a CF form, so Electoral Services know that your details are still correct and so they do not send you any further forms.

You can do this online, or by telephone or post. Please only post the form back if you cannot use any of the electronic methods

Welcome to the household update service (householdresponse.com)

If you are a second homeowner and no one else lives at your second address, you are responsible for responding to the forms we send, if there are changes to be made to the property details.

If you split your time between your two properties, you are entitled to be registered to vote at both addresses. You can only vote from one location in national elections.

If you would like to be registered at your second property and your name is not already included on the CF.

Please add your details by

Visiting The household update service Nottingham (householdresponse.com)

Then visit Register to vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) to register to vote online.

If you are unable to use one of the automated services, please complete the paper CF. Add and confirm your details if you do want to be registered, or ticking the relevant box in Section 4 if you don’t want to be registered at your second address. Please then complete the Declaration in Section 5 before sending the form back in the return envelope addressed to Electoral Reform Services, London.

Yes, your form is blank as there are no names on the register for your address. However, Electoral Services still need a response from you to confirm that you are still resident (even though you cannot register) and that there are no new people to add. You do not need to include your names on the form, just tick the box in Section 2, enter your nationality and sign the form. You can do this online, or by telephone or post. Please only post the form back if you cannot use any of the electronic methods.

If you have received a form you must respond regardless of whether you want to register or not. Students are allowed to register for their term time address and we encourage students to do so whilst they are living in Nottingham. You do not need to remove yourself from your home address as you can be registered in both places. If your form has the names of the previous residents then you need to remove these names and add the names of all the new residents who want to register. You can do this online, or by telephone or post. Please only post the form back if you cannot use any of the electronic methods.

Welcome to the household update service (householdresponse.com)

The open register is an extract of the electoral register but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details.

All registered voters are given the option to include or remove their details from the open register. This decision does not affect your right to vote.

If you would like to be included or removed from the open register, let us know when responding to the canvass.

Alternatively you can contact Electoral Services, confirming your full name, date of birth and address

Yes you can add someone who is 16 or 17 when you respond. They can register but will not be able to vote until they turn 18. They will then need to register by either visiting Register to vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or by waiting and completing an ITR when they receive it.

Yes, Electoral Services can now request information directly from the responsible person for a property, instead of sending a form to the address. Please respond to the request by providing the full names and nationalities of all residents in your properties and confirming whether they are over 76 years old or not.

If you have any further questions, please contact Electoral Services.

If you have responded to a canvass communication and realise that you made a mistake, please contact Electoral Services, to advise which information was entered incorrectly and what the correct information should be.

Please do not attempt to submit another response via one of the automated channels or by post.

A lack of mental capacity is not a legal incapacity to vote. Persons who meet the other registration qualifications are eligible for registration regardless of their mental capacity.

On a paper form, the applicant must make the declaration by signing or making their usual mark. On an online application, the applicant must confirm that the information is correct. Alternatively, a person who has an appropriate power of attorney may make the declaration on behalf of the applicant.

While electors with any level or no level of mental capacity may be registered to vote, the decision whether and how to vote at an election must be made by the elector themselves and not by any other person on their behalf. Those who care for or who otherwise make decisions on behalf of a person may not make decisions on voting.

The application requires the person who is applying to declare that the information provided is true (a ‘declaration of truth’).

If somebody in your household lacks the mental capacity to register themselves to vote, the individual with power of attorney (POA) will need to decide how to proceed when responding to the Canvass Form (CF).

If the POA wants the person to be registered to vote, they must add the person’s details to the CF (as well as making any other necessary changes to the form) by going online to The household update service (householdresponse.com)

* If the person’s name is already included on the CF and all their details are correct, then no amendments need to be made to their entry.

Or, the POA can decide not to add the person’s name to the CF. Where the person’s details are already included on the CF, they don't have to be removed, as we cannot remove pre-existing voters on the grounds of mental capacity.

If the POA cannot access the online CF response service, they can complete the paper form. Please remember to sign the Declaration in Section 5. Send it back in the return envelope addressed to Electoral Reform Services, London.

*The POA will then need to register the person to vote at Register to vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If the person is not registered to vote online, an Invitation To Register (ITR) form will be posted out to them. The POA will need to fill out and sign on the person’s behalf if they are unable to sign it/make their mark themselves. If the POA signs the ITR, we may request to see a certified copy of their Power of Attorney form with the completed ITR.

Please note that only the person themselves or the POA can make the declaration as part of the person’s application to register to vote.

If you are concerned about your name and address appearing on the electoral register because it could affect your safety, or the safety of someone living with you, you may be able to register anonymously.

In this instance please complete your paper Canvass Form (CF), making a note on the CF to request an anonymous registration application form. Remember to cross out the name of anyone listed on the form who no longer lives at the address, and to complete the Declaration in Section 5 before sending the form back in the return envelope addressed to Electoral Reform Services, London.

When we receive your CF, we will send you an application form to register anonymously, which you should complete and return along with evidence to support your application. We can accept any of the following as supporting evidence.

Eligible court documents you can use to support your application

An injunction to restrain a person from pursuing any conduct which amounts to harassment granted in proceedings
An injunction granted under Protection from Harassment Act
A restraining order made under the Protection from Harassment Act
A restraining order on acquittal
A non-harassment order
A non-molestation order made the Family Law Act
A matrimonial interdict
A domestic interdict
A relevant interdict
An interdict that has been determined to be a domestic abuse interdict
Any interdict with an attached power of arrest
A forced marriage protection order or interim forced marriage protection order
A domestic violence protection order
A female genital mutilation protection order

No other court documents are acceptable, and the court document must be in force on the day of your application to register anonymously.

An attestation from a qualifying officer supporting your application.

Only those listed below may attest an application. The attestation cannot be delegated to a more junior person within an organisation. A qualifying officer can be:

A police officer of or above the rank of inspector of any police force in England and Wales
A police officer of or above the rank of inspector of the Police Service of Scotland
A police officer of or above the rank of inspector of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Director General of the Security Service
The Director General of the National Crime Agency
Any director of adult social services in England
Any director of children’s services in England
Any director of social services in Wales
Any chief social work officer in Scotland
Any director of social services of a Health and Social Services Board
Any executive director of social work of a Health and Social Services Trust
Any registered medical practitioner
Any registered nurse or midwife
Any person who manages a refuge. A “refuge” means accommodation with a planned programme of therapeutic and practical support for victims of, or those at risk of, domestic abuse or violence

Read more about registering to vote anonymously.

Contact us

Electoral Services
Loxley House
Station Street
Nottingham
NG2 3NG

elections@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Tel: 0115 876 4111

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