Look out for annual canvass letters
Published: 11 August 2020
Local residents are urged not to lose their voice on matters that affect them by completing their annual canvass form
Local residents are urged not to lose their voice on matters that affect them by completing their annual canvass form to make sure their electoral registration details are up to date and return the form to the Council as soon as possible.
With elections taking place in Derby in May 2021, this is an important opportunity for everyone to make sure they can take part.
From this week, households in Derby will be receiving annual canvass letters to make sure the electoral register is up to date and identify any residents who are not registered so that they can be encouraged to do so. This will mean that residents will be able to take part in any future elections.
Residents are also urged to let us know if there are any changes to eligible voters in their household
If households need to tell us about changes, it’s quicker and easier to respond online – instructions are included in the letter. Anyone that can’t respond online can get in touch by post using the pre-paid reply envelope included with the letter.
If any new residents are added to a household, they will also need to complete a registration application. They can do this at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or if this is not possible they will be sent a form by post.
Emily Feenan, Electoral Registration Officer at Derby City Council said:
This year, following a change to national regulations, the Council has been allowed to contact households by text message and email for the first time and over 7,000 households have already updated their records this way. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who replied to their text or email. It really does save us, and ultimately residents, time and money. Thanks to this fantastic response these properties won’t need to be sent a letter this year. It’s important that residents keep an eye out for their letter, so we can make sure we have the right details on the electoral register for every address in the city. We encourage people to respond as soon as possible when they receive their letter, using the online option if possible.
Any residents who have any questions can contact the registration team at elections@derby.gov.uk or on 01332 640837.