Each year the Electoral Registration Officer is required to undertake an Annual Canvass of all households in the borough to check that the information on the electoral register is up to date. It is a legal requirement for residents to confirm details relating to their property.
Crawley Borough Council is starting the annual canvass to update the Register of Electors on 15 August.
A Household Enquiry Form (HEF) will be sent to every property in the borough with the details of residents currently registered to vote at the property. Anyone in the household can respond to the household enquiry form, but all properties must reply as soon as possible, even if there are no changes to be made.
This form is not a registration form but residents do need to complete it.
The household enquiry form is used to let the electoral services office know who resides at a property and should be registered to vote.
The HEF allows residents to inform the electoral services office about:
The aim of the form is to ensure that the electoral register is up to date and to identify any residents who are not registered so that they can be encouraged to do so. A separate invitation to register form will then be sent to any new residents who are eligible and need to register. Following completion of the HEF, anyone that needs to register can also go online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
It is particularly important that anyone who has moved address recently looks out for the form and checks whether they are registered.
If you do not receive a form by 29 August or you need help completing the form, contact the Electoral Services Team on 01293 438572 or email: elections@crawley.gov.uk .
Completing the household enquiry forms using our automated services:
Please check the names of the people printed on the household enquiry form who are currently registered to vote at this address. If no-one is currently registered, the form will be blank.
If there are NO CHANGES and the details are correct, you can confirm this to us by us by using one of the options in the No Change Box.
You will need your two unique security codes provided on the letter to use the automated services. Do not return the form if you have confirmed using one of the automated options.
If there are CHANGES to be made i.e. details need to be amended, someone needs to be added or removed, then you can either use the option in the Changes Box or return the form by post.
If you tell us there are new people eligible to be registered, we will send each person an Invitation to Register (ITR) form. This form invites that person to apply to register to vote. Individual registration forms ask you to give your date of birth and National Insurance number. Alternatively, you can register online by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
The law says that you must respond to the annual electoral canvass. If you do not register, it will not only affect your right to vote, it may also affect your ability to open a bank account, get credit, a loan or a mortgage as the full register is checked by authorized credit agencies.
Do not register only when you need a mortgage or finance – Due to prescribed processes and timings that we must observe by law it can take a month before your entry is visible to credit agencies.
Don't delay - You can save time and expense to the taxpayer and avoid receiving reminders and personal visits by responding to the canvass form promptly after you have received it in August. The revised Register of Electors will be published by 1 December 2018 and you must respond no later than the 16th November 2018 to be included.
Town Hall The Boulevard Crawley RH10 1UZ Tel: 01293 438572 Web: www.crawley.gov.uk Email: elections@crawley.gov.uk