Don’t lose your vote – residents in Telford and Wrekin urged to check voter registration details
Telford and Wrekin residents are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.
The annual canvass allows Telford & Wrekin Council tokeep the electoral register up to date, to identify who risks losing theirvoice at elections, and to encourage them to register before it’s too late.
David Sidaway, Electoral Registration Officer at Telford& Wrekin Council, said: “Keep an eye out for important updates from Telford& Wrekin Council. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that theinformation on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up todate. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply followthe instructions sent to you.
“If we’ve got an email address for you, we’ve sent you anemail to check your details. If we don’t have an email address for you, we’llbe in touch later in the summer by post.
“If you’re not currently registered, your name will notappear in the messages we send. This means you won’t have the right to vote andnot being on the electoral register may also affect your credit rating too, asit helps credit agencies to verify your identity. . If you want to register,the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
Recent home movers in particular are urged to check theirdetails. Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers areless likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address fora long time. In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at anaddress for less than a year.
Melanie Davidson, Head of Support and Improvement at theElectoral Commission, said: “It’s really important that everyone who iseligible to vote is able to do so. We urge people to check for updates fromtheir local council on this year’s canvass. The council may contact residentsby post or email.
“If you are not registered to vote, make sure you providethe necessary information to your local council when asked and register to voteonline at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”
Information on registering to vote is available on theElectoral Commission website.
Residents with questions about their registration status cancontact their local council’s electoral services team by emailing elections@telford.gov.uk
