The annual canvass
Once a year we must contact every household in Crawley to find out if the details on the Crawley electoral register are correct and up to date. This is called the annual canvass. The canvass helps us to remove people who no longer live there and invite new occupants to register to vote.
We may contact you by:
- Post
- Email (from elections@crawley.gov.uk or crawley.electoral.services@notifications.service.gov.uk)
- Knocking on your door
You will be asked to confirm that the names of people listed as eligible to vote in your household is correct. By completing the registration process, you will ensure that you can vote in future elections.
If anyone in your household is not registered to vote they need to complete an individual application to register on the government website.
The law says that you must respond to the annual electoral canvass.
If you do not, it will affect your right to vote. It may also affect your ability to open a bank account, get credit, a loan or a mortgage as the electoral register is checked by authorised credit agencies.
How to reply to the annual canvass
When we contact you, please follow the instructions as soon as you can to avoid costly reminders, or one of our staff visiting you. Only one response per household is needed.
Read the information in your letter carefully to check:
- Whether or not you need to respond. Some households only need to reply if there’s a change in their details
- That all the information is correct
You can reply using one of these options:
- Online - you’ll need your unique two-part security code
- By text message - only if no changes
- By telephone
It’s quicker to respond using online or text options.