Keeping the electoral register up-to-date

The Annual Canvass

Every year, we are required by law to contact every property in the city to ensure the electoral register is accurate and complete; we use updated information to publish a new Register of Electors on 1 December.

The purpose of the canvass is to:

• Identify any newly eligible to vote residents
• Remove those that have moved away or are no longer eligible to vote
• Make sure the register is accurate for election and jury service purposes

You should include all eligible residents that live at the address on the form. This includes:

• Those aged 16 or over
• British, Irish or EU citizens
• Commonwealth citizens who either have leave to remain in the UK or who do not require leave to remain in the UK.

Responding to the annual canvass

You will receive a letter or email asking you to confirm or update the details for those living at the address. Only one person in the household is required to complete the annual canvass – if you own a property that is currently empty you must still complete the form.

It is very important that you read this letter carefully as it will indicate whether you are legally required to respond.

• If a response is legally required, you must respond whether there are changes to report or not. Please respond as soon as possible. If we do not receive the required response, we will make every attempt to get a response from you. This could include reminder letters/ emails, a telephone call or a visit to your property.
• If a response is not legally required, you must still inform us of any changes to your household, but do not need to respond if the information on the Canvass Form is accurate and up to date.

We strongly encourage you to respond online if you can.

Respond to the Canvass online [www.registersecurely.com/York]

Alternatively, you can respond by email, telephone, or by completing the Canvass form and posting it back to us.

To respond by telephone:

• telephone: 0800 9758 607, only to confirm no changes to the household details
• SMS: 0795 0081 308, only to confirm no changes to the household details

Why have I received an Invitation to Register (ITR) form?

An ITR is sent out to all new residents who have been identified through the annual canvass.

The reason for this is that the law requires residents to provide us with various information, including your National Insurance number and your date of birth, when registering to vote. This information will then be compared against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions to verify your identity.

If you do not respond to the ITR and provide us with this information, you cannot be entered on the Register of Electors.

If you receive an ITR, you can also respond and register to vote online [www.gov.uk/register-to-vote].

When will my credit record be updated?

The updated full register was published on 1st December 2024.

Credit agencies are allowed by law to purchase the full version of the register for credit checking purposes. There are several credit reference agencies in the country who buy our register.

Please keep in mind it can sometimes take a number of weeks after the new register has been published for the agencies to make their purchases and to update their records.

If you have any queries regarding your credit file or notice any inaccuracies on your credit report from any of these agencies, you must contact the agency directly as we are unable to assist.

Monthly updates

Credit agencies also receive monthly updates to the register.

Applications need to be received before the deadline date to be included in the next monthly update. If you make your application after this date, you will be added to the register in the following month.

Also see

• Students registering to vote
• View or buy copies of the electoral register