Watch out for our canvassers
Canvassers are about to visit households in the St Albans District to encourage residents to register to vote.
They will take COVID-19 safety measures on the doorstep such as maintaining social distancing and avoiding any contact.
Over the next few weeks, they will approach around 4,500 households that have yet to respond to a canvass form.
Every year, St Albans City and District Council conducts the annual canvass to keep the electoral register up to date.
The Council has estimated that no changes are needed at around 80% of the District’s 60,000-plus properties.
These households were contacted by email or letter to confirm the register details and were also given instructions on what to do if changes are required.
The remaining households where it was believed there should be changes to the register were sent a canvass form with information on how to respond.
Canvassers will be visiting properties where there has been no response to raise awareness of this.
They will hand over another canvass form with a prepaid reply envelope and advise residents how they can respond by post, online or – in some cases – by phone.
If there is no reply, the form will be posted through the letter box.
Residents will be told that they need to respond to ensure they can vote at elections including next May’s District Council elections when all 56 seats will be contested.
If your name is not on the register, you will not be entitled to vote.
The door-to-door canvass will go on until every property that has not completed a canvass form is approached.
Amanda Foley, Electoral Registration Officer for the District, said:
Canvassers will call at every property where there has been no response. We want to make sure people do not lose their vote.
If you haven’t responded to the canvass form, please do so as soon as possible.
Just check the information it contains and either confirm it is correct or advise us of any changes. Instructions on how to do this are on the form.
Anyone not registered to vote can do so online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. It only takes a few minutes to do so.
People who are added to canvass forms will be sent letters inviting them to register.
Residents who have questions can contact the elections’ team by email at elections@stalbans.gov.ukor by telephoning 01727 819294.
Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727-819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk