Annual Canvass 2023

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 so.

To do this, we send correspondence to every household at the beginning of August asking you to confirm whether the details on the current electoral register are correct or need to be updated. The letter sent to your household will be addressed to ‘The Resident’.

Key Dates

• Canvass forms will be posted on 8 August 2023
• Reminder forms will be sent on 20 September 2023
• In person and telephone canvassing, for those who have not responded, will begin in October 2023

What should I do when I receive the canvass form?

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 and most cost-effective 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.

What happens if I do not respond?

If your canvass letter states that you must respond and we have not received a response by the deadline date, we are required to send a second reminder to your address and follow up with an in person visit or telephone call. 

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/registertovote) 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 26 July 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.
• If you move house you need to re-register at your new address, you can do so online at www.gov.uk/registertovote

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 so you may be refused credit if you do not register.