North Devon residents urged to check their voter registration details

North Devon residents are being warned not to lose their voice on decisions that affect them by making sure their electoral registration details are up to date.Â

The annual canvass ensures that North Devon Council can keep the electoral register up to date, identifying any residents who are not registered to vote, so that they can be encouraged to do so.Â

Judith Dark, Electoral Services Manager at North Devon Council says: “It’s important that residents look out for messages from us, so we can make sure we have the right details on the electoral register for every address in the district. To make sure you are able to have your say at elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you. We know that there are a lot of fraudulent emails going around and want to make sure that people don't mistake a genuine email from us as a scam.Â

“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, or we can send you information explaining how to do this in the post. As we carry out this important work to update the electoral register, we continue to follow public health guidelines, including respecting social distancing."Â

Residents can expect to hear from the council around the following dates:Â

Week commencing 23 August - emails sent to verified email addresses held on file, asking electors to confirm details currently held are correct and to update if necessary.Â

Week commencing 6 September - letters to households through the post, asking electors to confirm details currently held are correct and to update if necessary.Â

Week commencing 13 September - letters to households through the post, asking electors to update their registration.Â

People who have moved recently are particularly encouraged to look out for the voter registration messages from and check the details. Research by the Electoral Commission, published in 2019, indicates that recent home movers are far less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time.Â

Melanie Davidson, Head of Support and Improvement at the Electoral Commission, says: “It’s really important that everyone who is entitled to vote is able to do so. Checking the messages that you will get from your local authority is the easiest way to see if you’re registered to vote. If you’re not, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local authority when it is needed and register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.â€�Â

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.Â

Any residents who have questions can contact their local registration team at elections@northdevon.gov.uk.Â