Annual electoral canvass underway – don’t lose your right to vote!

Residents in Blackburn with Darwen are being advised to make sure their electoral registration details are up to date, to avoid losing their voice on local decisions that affect them.

Through the annual electoral canvass, households in Blackburn with Darwen will receive a form asking them to check and update information that appears on the electoral register for their address.

The annual canvass ensures that the electoral register is kept up to date, and helps to identify any residents who are not registered to vote so that they can be encouraged to do so – before it’s too late.

With the borough council, some parish and town councils and also the Police & Crime Commissioner elections taking place in May 2024, this is an opportunity for residents to make sure they will be able to take part.

Denise Park, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council and the borough’s Returning Officer for elections, said:

The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.

If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the letters we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

From Monday 14 August, Electoral Canvassers working on behalf of the Council will begin to visit households that haven’t yet responded to the electoral registration form. They will carry official Council ID and will ask to check the names and dates of birth of people living in the property. They will never ask for bank details.

Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details. Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

Melanie Davidson, Head of Support and Improvement at the Electoral Commission, said:

It’s really important that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. We urge people to check for updates from their local council on this year’s canvass. The council may contact residents by post or email.

If you are not registered to vote, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local council when asked and register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact their local council’s electoral services team at (01254) 585920, voting@blackburn.gov.co.uk.