Tuesday June 13, 2023
For immediate release
Email checks of Charnwood’s electoral register to get underway
Residents in Charnwood are being asked to look out for an email as part of an annual check of voter details.
Charnwood Borough Council is required to contact all households in the area to check voters’ details are correct on the register.
The Council will be contacting some voters by email which saves time, money and helps the environment.
The initial check was carried out digitally for the first-time last year when around 25,000 residents were contacted by email. Over 9,900 people responded to the email which helped reduce the number of letters being sent out.
Rob Mitchell, the Council’s Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer, said: “Having the right to vote is incredibly important so I would urge residents to keep an eye out for our email and respond promptly.
“Using emails to carry out our annual check helps make the process quicker, cheaper and is better for the environment.
“The email is very secure and provides residents with the information they need to respond. I would encourage people to respond to the email as soon as possible, otherwise we will need to send a letter in the post”.
The Council used to send out 77,000 letters to households in the borough.
Around 43,000 households will receive an email this year with the aim of reducing the number of letters issued by more than half.
Residents can also update their contact details with the Council’s Electoral Services team so they may be able to receive an email instead of a letter next year.
Residents who are already registered to vote and would like to update their contact details can email elections@charnwood.gov.uk.
The Council is legally required to check that its electoral register is up to date each year to make sure that everyone who is eligible to vote is registered and can have their say in future elections and referendums.
The Council is using databases to identify households where voter details are unlikely to have changed and then send them an email.
The email will be sent from elections@charnwood.gov.uk on Wednesday June 14 and residents need to respond by Wednesday June 21.
If more than one person in the household receives the email, only one person needs to respond.
If a response is not received or the Council does not hold an email address for anyone in the property, a paper form will be delivered from Friday July 14.
Where data suggests there have been some changes to the voters at the property, a paper canvass form will be sent from Friday July 14.
If the information is not correct on the form, residents need to let the Council know as soon as possible so individual electoral registration forms can be sent to those who need to register to vote.
The Electoral Registration Officer needs the information to be able to publish a complete and accurate electoral register on December 1 each year.
Having your details on the electoral register will:
allow you to be able to vote
improve your credit rating
make it easier to access council services
help you avoid a fine
Full details on how residents can complete the form online, by phone, via text or by post are all contained in the email or form sent to them.
A list of frequently asked questions is available on the Council’s website at www.charnwood.gov.uk/canvass
More information can be found on the Council’s website or residents can contact the team on 01509 634546.