Households in the Dorset Council area are being asked to look out for an email asking residents to check whether the information on the electoral register is correct as part of the Annual Canvass for the Register of Electors.
Every year councils must send a Household Enquiry Form to all properties in their area to find out who is eligible to vote. This is known as the annual canvass.
The email should not be confused for a scam – all emails will be sent from elections@elections.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk with a subject line of:
‘Act Now so that Dorset Council can check who is eligible to be registered to vote’.
Households, where there appears to have been no changes in residency, will start receiving emails from 7 August and a response is required to the email even if the details in the email are still correct.
If there have been changes in your household, for example you have moved house, or someone in your household has reached 16 or 17 years, you can provide the information by visiting:
www.householdresponse.com/Dorset and log on using the security codes supplied on the email.
From 15 August, Canvass Forms (CF) will be sent out to properties where we have been unable to confirm all the residents. A response is required to this form and can be done in the following ways:
householdresponse.com/Dorset and log on using the security codes supplied on the Form.
Complete the form supplied with the letter and return it to the address provided.
If there are no changes to your information you can either:
Call 0800 197 9871 and supply the security code from the letter (mobile providers may charge for this service), or text NOCHANGE followed by the security code on your letter to 80212 (mobile providers may charge for this service)
Further Canvass Communication Forms (CCA) will be sent sometime in early September to properties where we believe there are no changes to the registered electors, but we do not have email contact details.
Jonathan Mair, Director of Legal & Democratic, Dorset Council, said:
“It is important that everyone who is entitled to vote can do so. I encourage residents to keep a look out for the email and help us keep costs down by responding online or by telephone wherever possible.
“We have to carry out the annual canvass by law. Please respond online or by telephone wherever possible. As well as saving the council money by not having to send reminders, we will not need to arrange personal visits from appointed electoral canvassers to obtain the information.”
Jonathan continued: “Being able to vote gives you the chance to have a say on who represents you. This is all the more important ahead of local elections to Dorset Council and towns and parishes and the election of the Police and Crime Commissioner in May 2024.
“Being registered to vote also helps people who want to apply for credit. The register is also used by credit agencies to confirm where someone lives when they apply for credit to counteract fraud.”
If you have any questions, you can contact our elections team on 01305 838299.
Under Section 23 of the Representation of the Peoples Regulations 2001 it is a legal requirement to provide the information requested, and you can be fined up to £1,000 for not doing so.
