Annual Electoral Canvass: Residents receive important voter advice

Each year, the Electoral Registration Officer must produce a list of names and addresses of people eligible to vote in Local, Regional and Parliamentary elections. This is called the register of electors. The register is the basis of our democracy, so an accurate register is very important. 

It is also used by credit reference agencies when people apply for credit, and it identifies any residents who are not currently registered to vote so that they can be encouraged to do so.

To view Wirral Council’s privacy notice and find further information on how they manage your information visit www.wirral.gov.uk/register

What do I need to do?

Residents for whom the council hold an email address will have received an email after 2 July 2021. The email sender will be Wirral Electoral – wirral.electoral@notifications.service.gov.uk

How your email may appear in your inbox

All other households and those not responding to the email will receive a form by post between Thursday 5 August 2021 to Sunday 15 August 2021.

The form asks residents to check whether the information that appears on the electoral register is correct.

If the information that is held on the electoral register matches the Department of Work and Pensions data, the council will send you a Canvass Communication A (CCA) letter to your house to confirm the elector details that the council hold.  If all the information on the letter is correct you will not need to respond to this letter. You only need to respond to inform the council of any changes to this form.

If the information held on the electoral register cannot be matched with the Department of Work and Pensions data, the council will send you a Canvass Communication B (CCB) letter (CCB) or a canvass form. If you receive either of these letters, you must reply to this letter even if there are no changes to the form.

The CCA and CCB letter will detail if there is a requirement for you to respond. If there are any changes to be made to any of the electors’ details printed on the letters that you receive, you must inform the council of these changes to keep the electoral register up to date.

If you are required to respond to the form you can do this in several ways as shown below:

• Visit the Household Response website OR

• Call the automated helpline: 0800 197 9871 OR

• Call the Electoral Services team on 0151 691 8046

You will need the security codes that are printed on your form to use the automated service. 

If you are unable to use the options above, you should complete and send the form back to the council in the pre-paid envelope.

New residents

If you are a new resident at the property or a resident who should be registered but you are not listed on the form you will need to register at:

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

If you do not have access to the internet, you can call the council and provide the information, or the council can send you a paper application form.

What happens if am I required to respond but I do not return the form?

An Electoral Canvasser will visit your home with a canvass reminder form. The canvasser will ask you to confirm if the information printed on the form is correct and will detail any changes to your household.

Canvasser visits will commence from 20 September 2021 until 31 October 2021.

Please note that you are required by law to respond.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to maintain a register of electors. The Electoral Registration Officer has a legal duty to maintain this register. This duty is fully explained in the Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated regulations. 

The legal basis for processing this information falls under the performance of a public task in the public interest or exercising official authority. Therefore, any task related to performing this function including sending a Household Canvass and sending out the letters is carried out on this basis and is compliant with the new Data Protection Legislation (including GDPR).

If you would like more information on the Annual Canvass, please visit the Electoral Commission website.

Any residents who have any questions can contact Electoral Services via email: electoral@wirral.gov.uk  or telephone: 0151 691 8046.

To view the Wirral Council privacy notice and find further information on how they manage your information visit www.wirral.gov.uk/register

Further information and a list of frequently asked questions can be found on the council website at www.wirral.gov.uk/register

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