The annual canvass process is beginning in South Holland

South Holland District Council will be starting the annual canvass on Friday 4 July by distributing around 37,000 emails to residents that it holds email addresses for.

The annual canvass is a yearly process conducted by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and supported by local councils. The ERO has a legal requirement to conduct the annual canvass, which ensures the electoral register is accurate and complete.

The law says that residents must provide the Council with information as part of the annual canvass, if they are contacted.

Residents are encouraged to check their emails from 4pm on Friday 4 July to see if they have received an email from elections@sholland.gov.uk, regarding the annual canvass process.

It is essential that the Council receives at least one response from each household it contacts. This is to allow the ERO to keep the electoral register up to date, ensuring everyone who is eligible maintains their right to vote in any upcoming elections.

Being on the electoral register also provides residents with an increased credit score, through validating their identity.

The deadline for residents to respond to the annual canvass emails is Wednesday 9 July.

If the Council doesn't have an email address recorded for any residents of a household, or doesn't receive a response to its email, a canvass form will instead be delivered by hand later in the year.

Hand-delivered forms will begin to arrive from Monday 11 August. If necessary, a further reminder, through a phone call or a physical form, will be distributed after Monday 15 September.

James Gilbert, Electoral Registration Officer for South Holland District Council, said: "The annual canvass is an essential yearly process which must be completed to keep the electoral register up to date.

"Please do respond to our email or form as soon as possible, to allow us to complete the annual canvass process as smoothly as possible, and to ensure you and anyone you live with maintains their right to vote in upcoming elections."

More information about the annual canvass and what South Holland District Council will be doing this year can be found on our website: https://www.sholland.gov.uk/annualcanvass