Don’t lose your voice!

Gloucester residents are being urged not to lose their voice on matters that affect them by looking out for their household enquiry (canvass) forms and returning them to Gloucester City Council as soon as possible.

The annual canvass is an opportunity for residents to easily check whether they are registered to vote.

The form ensures that Gloucester City Council can keep the electoral register up to date and identifies any residents who are not registered so that they can be encouraged to do so. This will mean that residents will be able to take part in any future elections.

The household enquiry forms have been being delivered over the last few weeks and ask residents to check whether the information that appears on the electoral register about their address is correct.

Jon McGinty, the Electoral Registration Officer for Gloucester City Council, said: “It’s really important that everyone registers to vote, and that you return these forms to confirm that we have the right details for you. Not only does it give you a voice to make change happen in your community and nationally, but being on the register makes it easier if you want to apply for a loan or even a mobile phone contract. Please respond just as soon as you can, even if you are unsure, it takes just a few minutes to register online.”

People who have moved address recently are particularly encouraged to keep an eye out for the form and check the details. Research by the independent Electoral Commission indicates that recent home movers are far less likely to be registered than those that have lived at the same address for a long time.

Across Britain, 94% of people who have been at their property for more than 16 years will be registered compared to 40% of people who have lived at an address for less than one year.

Residents are urged to respond to the forms even if they do not think they are eligible to vote. Residents can either confirm or change the details on the form by going to www.householdresponse.com/gloucester and following the instructions on the form, or using the Freephone or SMS text registration services. Alternatively they can fill out the form and return it by post. If residents do not respond, they may be removed from the electoral register. 

If residents require any further information then they should contact the Gloucester City Council Elections team on 01452 396203 or .