Every year we carry out an annual canvass of all households in Harlow to check that the information on the electoral register is up to date. We have to do this by law.
You need to be on the electoral register to be able to vote in elections and it can also be helpful when you want to get credit for things like a mortgage or bank loan.
We carry out the canvass between June to December, so look out for emails, letters, calls and visits from us during that time.
Paying Council Tax does not mean you are automatically added to the electoral register.
We start the canvass by comparing the names and addresses we have on the electoral register with the same information held by the Department for Work and Pensions and our own Council Tax, Housing and Benefits departments.
This determines how we contact you and what you need to do.
If you receive an email
If everyone in the household matches on our check and we have an email address for you, then we will send you an email.
We will send this email on 7 July 2023 and it will come from the secure government email GOV.UK Notify.
If you receive an email and your details are correct, you just need to respond to confirm this. You must respond by 19 July 2023.
If you do not respond by 19 July 2023, we will send you a yellow A4 letter in the post.
If you receive a yellow A4 letter
You will receive a yellow A4 letter if everyone in the household matches on our check, but:
- we did not have an email address for you
- you did not respond to our email by 19 July 2023
The letter will state the current names on the electoral register at the address.
If the details are all correct you do not need to do anything.
If you need to make changes (like adding, removing or changing names) go to the Household response website.
If you add someone to the form and they are eligible to vote they also need to register to vote
If you receive a white A3 canvass form
If not everyone matches on our check, we will send you a canvass form which will be pre-printed with the details we currently hold. If you receive this form you must respond, even if there are no changes.
You can confirm that the information is correct or make any changes on the Household Response website.
If your information is correct you can also text (80212) or phone (0800 197 9871).
Or you can use the paper form and post it back to us using the reply envelope provided.
If you add someone to the form and they are eligible to vote they also need to register to vote
If you do not respond
If you do not complete the form:
- we will send a reminder by email or phone between 18 and 31 August 2023
- a canvasser will call at your property between 8 September and 9 October 2023
- we will send a final reminder canvass form from 9 October 2023.
- you could be removed from the register and fined up to £1,000 if we have still not received a response
Once the canvass is finished
Following the annual canvass, a new electoral register was published on 1 December 2023.
Contact information
Latton Bush Centre
Southern Way
Harlow
CM18 7BL
01279 446042