Residents in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead are being reminded not to lose their voice on decisions that affect them by making sure their details are up to date on the electoral register.
Each year, the council is required to undertake an annual canvass of all households in the borough to check that the information on the register is as accurate and as up to date as possible. This process also helps to identify any residents who are not registered to vote and encourages them to register.
The council has sent their first round of emails to residents and the first round of letters will be sent around the 8 September, with additional emails and letters up until early November, to find out who should be registered to vote at each address and to check that the current information is up to date. This information will be used to compile the revised electoral register for 2022 and will be published on 1 December 2022, ready for the borough and parish elections in May 2023.
People who have recently moved home are particularly encouraged to look out for the voter registration messages sent by the council, either via email - from electoral.registration.rb.windsor.and.maidenhead@notifications.service.gov.uk – or in the post, and to respond.
Emma Duncan, electoral registration officer at the Royal Borough, said: “It’s important that residents keep an eye out for messages from the Royal Borough so we can make sure we have the right details on the register for every residential address in the area. To make sure you’re able to have your say at elections, simply follow the instructions on the emails or letters you get from us.
“Where possible, we are encouraging residents to confirm their details online using the information sent to them, rather than posting paper forms back to us, as this is the quickest and easiest way to update the details for your household, and it’s more environmentally friendly too.
“If you’re not currently registered, your name may not appear on the letters or emails, or if we have been notified that you may reside at the address then it will appear with the phrase ‘not yet registered’ next to it. If you need to register, the easiest and quickest way to do so is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, or we’ll send you information explaining how to do this in the post.
“This year’s canvass is taking place following a challenging public health situation. This means that we are doing things a little differently again this year as we will rely more on email and post but we will also have canvassers making telephone calls and some home visits from mid October.”
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 look out 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 at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter. Residents who have any questions can contact the registration helpline by calling 01628 683868 or email electoral.registration@rbwm.gov.uk