Calderdale residents are being reminded to respond to the Household Enquiry Form (HEF) they will have received, to ensure they’re registered to vote at the next election.
Calderdale Council has recently sent a HEF to every residential property in the borough to check that the information that appears on the electoral register is correct. Almost 50% of households have responded already, which is more than at this point last year, but the remaining half are urged to reply as soon as possible.
Reminders are about to be sent to the properties where the details haven’t been confirmed yet, and the Council is asking people to respond as soon as they can. A speedy response will mean that Calderdale’s electoral register stays as up to date as possible and reduces the need for further reminders to be printed and posted.
District elections are taking place in May 2018, so this is an important opportunity for residents to make sure they will be able to take part.
Robin Tuddenham, Electoral Registration Officer at Calderdale Council said:
“The Household Enquiry Form is an important document that is sent to every household in the borough. The survey is part of the annual canvass and ensures our electoral register is up to date.
“If you haven’t already, it’s important that you respond as soon as possible, to ensure that you are able to have your say at the elections next year.
“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear on the form. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote(external link), or we’ll send you information explaining how to do this in the post. In any case, you will still need to complete the form and send it back to us.”
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 Great Britain, 96% of people who have been at their property for more than 16 years will be registered compared to 27% of people who have lived at an address for less than one year.
Melanie Davidson, Head of Support and Improvement at the Electoral Commission, said:
“It’s really important that everyone who is entitled to vote is able to do so; checking the form that will arrive through the post is one of the easiest ways to find out if you are already registered. There’s lots of helpful information about registering to vote on our website www.yourvotematters.co.uk(external link).”
Any residents who have any questions can visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/council/elections-and-voting/household-voting-annual-canvass or call 01422 393103 if you have no internet access.