Act now to keep your vote! West Suffolk’s annual electoral canvass begins

07 Jul 2025

Residents in West Suffolk are being reminded to check their voter registration details or risk missing the chance to vote in future elections and referendums, with the canvassing starting on Monday 7 July.

West Suffolk Council is responsible for voter registration and administers all elections and referendums in the district. The annual canvass, which is a legal requirement, allows West Suffolk Council to keep the electoral register up to date, to identify who risks losing their voice at elections, and to encourage them to register before it’s too late.

The council will be contacting households by email and text messages, where this information has been supplied by electors. Postal forms will be sent to households where this information is not held. Personal visits to non-responding households will then take place.

Cllr Gerald Kelly, Cabinet member for Governance and Regulatory, said: “Residents should keep an eye out for our annual canvass communications, to ensure the right details are on the electoral register. The annual canvass is part of the council’s duty to confirm that the information on the electoral register for every address is correct and up to date. Responding is quick and secure, and by providing the necessary information you can have your say in upcoming elections.

“Depending on the information you have supplied, the communication may be an email, text or posted form. Whichever one you receive will include a unique code that allows you to go online to securely check and update your details. This method has been very successful in the past, as it makes responding and registering easier to do.

“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at GOV.UK - Register to vote.”

To be eligible to register to vote a person must be:

• aged 16 or over (a person may register to vote at 16, but may not vote until they are 18)
• a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such leave
• a European Union (EU) citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, or Spain who has permission to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such permission
• a EU citizen of any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 had permission to enter and remain in the UK or did not require such permission, and this has continued without a break

Find out more on registering to vote on The Electoral Commission website: The Electoral Commission - Voting and elections

Residents with questions about their electoral registration status can contact West Suffolk Council’s Electoral Services team at: elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk

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