Annual Canvass 2026
Each year the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is required by law to carry out an Annual Canvass of all the properties within Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council, to check that the information held on the electoral register is correct and that all individuals who are eligible to vote are registered.
To do this, we send correspondence to every household asking you to confirm whether the details on the electoral register are correct or need to be updated.
The letter sent to your household will be addressed to ‘The Resident’.
This year we are sending emails in advance of the paper correspondence to enable residents to respond electronically if they can.
Key Dates:
- A Canvass email will be sent to some properties on 25 August 2026
- Canvass forms will be posted on 24 September 2026
- Reminder forms will be sent on 2 November 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you have received an email:
- Check that the email is genuine
- The email will be sent from the government notification service, the sender will be Elections at South Norfolk and Broadland elections.at.south.norfolk.and.broadland@notifications.service.gov.uk
- Click on the link provided in the email to access the response service (https://www.registersecurely.com/SouthNorfolkandBroadland)
- Type in your unique security codes
- Complete and amend the information as necessary, and then submit the form
If you do not respond to the email, a paper form will be sent to your address. You do not need to contact us to request this.
If you have received a letter:
It is a legal requirement for all households to respond to the Annual Canvass if they are asked to do so, even if there are no eligible electors in the household or if individuals do not wish to vote in future elections.
Not all households will be asked to respond – please check your letter carefully as it will tell you what you need to do.
If you have been asked to respond, or if you need to update the information given on the form, the quickest way to do so is online using the website and security information provided in your letter.
You can also respond by amending the details on the form and returning it to Electoral Services, Horizon Business Centre, Peachman Way, Broadland Business Park, Norwich, NR7 0WF.
Please respond as soon as you can.
If your canvass form states that a response is required and we have not received one by the deadline, we will need to carry out a personal canvass. This may involve a phone call or a visit to your home.
Please remember
- Being registered for council tax does not automatically place you on the register of electors.
- If you return a completed form by post this is your response to the Annual Canvass, it is not a registration form and will not register any individuals to vote. Any eligible electors listed on your form will either need to register online (www.gov.uk/register-to-vote) or we will send an Invitation to Register (ITR) to your address for them to complete. To avoid delay, the quickest way to respond to the canvass and to register is online.
- You do not have to wait for the Annual Canvass to register – you can register to vote at any time using the online registration service at www.gov.uk/registertovote. Please be aware that if you register after 20 August your name will not appear on the form sent to your address, but you do not need to re-register. Please still complete the canvass form if you are asked to do so.
- Each time you move house you are required to register to vote at your new address, and re-apply for any postal or proxy voting arrangements you may have held previously. You can do so online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
If you do not register, you will not be able to vote in any future elections or referendums. The register of electors is also used to confirm an individual’s address by a number of credit referencing agencies. You may be refused credit if you do not register.
Residents who have provided us with their email address may receive a communication asking them to respond online, or a reminder to complete the canvass form.
To check that these emails are genuine:
- The email will be sent from the government notification service, the sender will be Elections at South Norfolk and Broadland
- The sending account will be elections.at.south.norfolk.and.broadland@notifications.service.gov.uk
- The email title will be
- Broadland District Council Annual Canvass 2026 – please respond
- South Norfolk Council Annual Canvass 2026 – please respond
The email will contain your unique security codes and a link to the Register Securely response service https://www.registersecurely.com/SouthNorfolkandBroadland
If you know you are eligible and have not yet submitted an application to register to vote you do not have to wait for the Annual Canvass to register – you can register to vote at any time using the online registration service at