Canvass is underway-2

Make sure you’re election-ready: check your voter registration details

Residents across the Forest of Dean are being urged to check their voter registration details now to ensure they are ready to vote in the May 2027 elections. 

Forest of Dean District Council is carrying out its annual canvass to update the electoral register. This process helps identify anyone at risk of losing their right to vote and ensures that everyone eligible is properly registered and ready to take part in future elections. 

As part of the annual canvass process, the Council's Electoral Services team will contact residents by email or letter to confirm voter registration details. Residents are encouraged to respond by email where possible, helping to streamline the process and reduce the need for paper correspondence. 

All emails will be sent from [email protected] with the subject line of ‘Annual Canvass - Update your household information’. Only one member of the household needs to respond. 

Nigel Brinn, Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer at Forest of Dean District Council, said: 

"It is important to look out for updates from our Electoral Services team. The annual canvass helps us confirm that the information we hold for each household is accurate. 

"Please check that the people listed at your address are correct and follow the instructions we send you. If you are not currently registered, your name won't appear in our communications, so it's vital to check. Don't forget to include any 16 or 17-year-olds living at your address when responding. 

"Taking a few minutes to respond now will help ensure you're registered and ready to vote in the May 2027 elections." 

Residents who have recently moved are particularly encouraged to check their registration status. Research by the Electoral Commission shows that people who have moved home in the last year are far less likely to be registered, with only 36% registered, compared to 92% of those who have lived at the same address for 16 years. 

For more information on the annual canvass and how to respond, visit: www.fdean.gov.uk/annualcanvass

Contact Information

Forest of Dean Communications Team

[email protected]

Notes to editors

  1. The Representation of the People Act 1983 places a duty on electoral registration officers tomaintain the electoral register for their area and to conduct an annual canvass of all residential properties. 

  2. The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other reasons as specified in law, such as detecting crime (e.g.fraud), calling people for jury service or checking credit applications. 

  3. The open register is an extract of the electoral register but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person,company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote. 

  4. To be eligible to register to vote a person must be:
    1. aged 16 or over (a person may register to vote at 16, but may not vote until they are 18)
    2. a British or qualifying Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such leave.
    3. a citizen ofthe Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) member state 

  5. British citizens, Irish citizens and qualifying Commonwealth citizens can vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland, Mayor of London and London Assembly elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections and general elections.

  6. EU nationals legally resident in the UK may currently register to vote in local government elections, providing they meet with the age and residency requirements and that they are not legally incapable of voting. The Elections Act 2022 changed the eligibility of some EU citizens to vote.

  7. The changes in voting rights for EU nationals will not affect voters from Cyprus,Malta and Ireland. 

  8.  Full details of the Electoral Commission’s research on the electoral registers can be found on its website -https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/research-reports-and-data