Ensuring your right to vote

Households across the borough will soon be receiving a personal visit from an electoral canvasser if the Household Enquiry form sent to them in September has not been returned.

The annual voter registration canvass is designed to ensure all residents who are eligible to vote are registered so that they can have their voice at future elections. The initial Household Enquiry forms were sent in September, followed earlier this month with reminders to those who had not returned the forms.

While many have completed their details, there remain some who have yet to do so. The letter at the front of the form explains what needs to be done, and the options available to return the required information.

Every household must respond to this request for information. Those who fail to do so could be liable for a £1,000 fine and will lose the chance to vote at elections.

Registering to vote has never been easier and details on the many different ways to confirm the elector details already on the Household Enquiry form are listed on the form itself. When added to the voters list for the first time, that person must complete an individual form or go online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Electoral canvassers will have a copy of the form that each household needs to complete and will provide all help and assistance to ensure the form is completed correctly while the canvasser is at the property. Each canvasser will be carrying official ID and wearing a hi-vis jacket with the words Croydon Council Electoral Registration Canvasser printed on the back.

If nobody is at home when a canvasser calls, a calling card and a further form will be left. Householders are asked to complete the form as soon as possible, using one of the services listed on the form. Once a response has been recorded, the canvasser will not need to call again.

There are two types of form that the canvasser will be looking to collect, depending on the information required from each household – the Household Enquiry form, and the Individual Registration form.

The quickest and easiest way to respond to the Household Enquiry form is online at www.householdresponse.com/croydon, using the security codes on the form. This service can be used to add and remove names and to amend existing information.

Anybody unable to respond using the online service, can make amendments to the form itself and send it back to the council’s electoral services department using the pre-paid envelope provided.

Where new names are added, an Individual Registration form will have been sent by post, or emailed to those eligible to register. These names will not be included in the electoral register until they have made a successful application.

There is no need to wait for the individual registration form to be sent, all who need to register can do so online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

All the information received during the canvass will be used to compile a new revised electoral register on Thursday 1 December. To be included on the register, the council must receive information by Tuesday 22 November.

Not being on the electoral register can affect your credit score and ability to get a mortgage, loan, mobile phone contract and other credit facilities.

Jo Negrini, chief executive and electoral registration officer Croydon Council

“I’m pleased that so many households have already returned their forms. However, there are still some who haven’t done so and I’d remind them to do so now.
 
“If you’re not on the electoral register, you won’t be entitled to vote at any elections in the future. It takes only a few minutes to deal with the form, so do please ask our canvassers to help complete it if they call at your property.”

Residents who have any questions can email the elections team at electoral.services@croydon.gov.uk

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