Annual canvass

Every year, by law, we carry out an annual canvass between July and February to keep the electoral register up to date. This guide explains the process and how to respond. The canvass helps us find out who needs to be added or removed from the electoral register – for example, people who have moved out or new occupants who need to register.

All households must respond if they are asked, even if nothing has changed or there are no eligible voters. See how to respond to the annual canvass.

We only need one response per household, and it takes just a few minutes. Please respond to the email or paper form as soon as you can.

If you add someone to your response, they must complete their own register to vote application to be added to the electoral register. Paying Council Tax does not automatically register you.

The annual canvass is a separate process from registering to vote.