Residents warned: “Don’t lose your right to vote”

RESIDENTS of more than 38,000 Warrington households risk losing their right to vote at the next election – unless they respond to the annual canvass being carried out by the borough council.
Each year the council sends out household enquiry forms to every address in the borough – about 93,000 homes.
Householders are required by law to provide the information requested on the form and so far around six in 10 households have responded, half of them via telephone, SMS or online.
From this Friday, reminder letters will be delivered to householders who still haven’t responded,urging them to make sure that the details about them currently held on the electoral register are correct.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive at the council, said: “To vote in an election you must be registered. We need to ensure that the electoral register is up to date and to identify any residents who are not registered so that they can be encouraged to do so.
“Householders should check that the information held is accurate and up to date, and respond as promptly as possible. This can be done quickly and easily online, as well as by phone or post.
“It’s particularly important that anyone who has moved house recently looks out for the form and checks whether they are registered with the correct information.
“If your name is not listed on the form but you think that you are eligible to vote, you must do two things: respond to the enquiry form and register yourself online at gov.uk/register-to-vote”
Householders are asked:
•the name and nationality of everyone aged 16 or over;
•whether there are any residents who are not eligible to vote, and why;
•whether their nationality has changed;
•if they are now over 76 years old;
•to cross out the name(s) of anyone listed on the form who is no longer living at the address;
•to include contact information if they wish to.
Forms can be completed quickly and easily online using a security code provided. Residents who fail to respond will receive a personal visit from elections staff.
A revised electoral register will be published on December 1. Credit reference agencies use the electoral register to validate applications. Not being registered can affect applications for credit cards, mobile
phone contracts and mortgages.
More information about the annual household enquiry is available on the council’s website at warrington.gov.uk/elections