In this section

Annual Canvass 2026 and Household Response

Voter Id

You need to be registered to be able to vote in any election or referendum for which you are eligible. We run an annual canvass to ensure the electoral register is up to date.

Every household will receive some form of communication but you may not have to make a return to the form sent to the property.

Data from the electoral roll is matched with central Government records as a confirmation of valid electors.

In July

From the 2nd of July we will be sending an email to residents, where we hold an email address, encouraging them to check that their information is up to date. The email gives instructions on how to update their details within the household. If householders take action on this email, we can save money by not posting out further forms.

Here is an example of the email you may receive: 

In August 

At the beginning of August, a letter will be delivered to every property in Bromsgrove. 

For properties where everyone in the household matched with Government records, anyone already registered at the address will be listed on the form and if everything on the letter is correct you don't have to do anything. That's it, canvass complete!

If things have changed, such as another person coming to live at or someone leaving the property, just follow the instructions on the letter to make the changes.

Please read your letter carefully as you may be required to respond.

It is extremely important that if your letter asks you to respond that you do it as quickly as possible. This means:

  • It will save money for your Council by us not having to print and send required reminders
  • We will not have to send out a canvasser (which legislation requires to do for non-responders) to your property

Where one or more persons did not match the records held with central Government, we will require confirmation that the information held on the electoral register is correct. Someone in the household must respond to this letter.

The easiest and safest way is by going online, this only takes a few minutes.

During the canvass period we will:

  • Deliver canvass communications to all properties in Bromsgrove
  • Deliver a reminder to properties who have not responded where a response is required
  • Send canvassers, where necessary and as a last resort, to properties to encourage residents to complete the forms
  • Publish register on 01 December 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

The email will come from bromsgrove.and.redditch.electoral.shared.services@notifications.service.gov.uk, which is a recognised government domain. It will include a link to the response webpage so that you can submit your response.

The email should also include the Bromsgrove and Redditch Council logos and be signed by the Electoral Registration Officer. If you receive an email that looks different, or you are unsure whether it is genuine, please contact Electoral Services for confirmation before clicking any links.

We address our canvass communications to “The Occupier” because someone else may have moved into the property since our last canvass.

Not all properties need to respond if there are no changes. If you have received a form marked “Canvass Communication A” and you have no changes to make, you do not need to respond. If you do have changes to make, you must respond.

If you have received a form marked “Canvass Form”, you must respond, even if there are no changes to make. If you do not respond, we will send you a reminder.

Please do not wait until you need a mortgage or finance before registering. Because of legal processes and timescales, it can take several weeks before your entry is visible to credit reference agencies.

The revised Register of Electors is published by 1 December each year. If you do not register during the canvass, you can still apply to have your name added to the register. Applications to amend the register are processed each month.

Yes. The online service and the data you provide are secure. The service has been independently accredited, security-tested and developed in line with best practice guidelines for data security. The website address for entering your details is:

https://www.householdresponse.com/bromsgroveandredditch

Yes. You still need to respond to confirm that the information is correct and that there are no changes.

If anyone listed on the form no longer lives at your address, or it is not their main address, you should clearly cross through their name on the form. You can also remove their name using the online response service.

You should include everyone at the address who is eligible to register to vote, including British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens who live there. A qualifying Commonwealth citizen is someone who has leave to enter or remain in the UK, or who does not need such leave.

If you are from a European Union or Commonwealth country, please state your nationality when you register. If you are unsure of your nationality, please use the nationality shown on your passport.

You should also include all 16- and 17-year-olds. They will be eligible to vote when they turn 18, but not before.

Include anyone who normally lives at your address but is temporarily away, for example because they are on holiday, studying, or in hospital.

Include anyone who is away for work, unless they will be away for more than six months.

Include any other residents, lodgers and guests, but not short-stay visitors.

No. You do not have to provide your email address or phone number. However, providing these details helps us contact you about future canvasses and may reduce costs that could otherwise be spent on other council services. We will use this information only in connection with your electoral registration and to contact you if there is a problem.

No. The annual canvass is used to check who is eligible to register to vote at your address. If you complete the form online, you will be directed to the appropriate website to register. If you return a paper form with new details added, an Invitation to Register form will be sent to each newly added person to complete and return.

The electoral register and Council Tax database are separate. If your name is not shown on the canvass form, you will need to add it and then complete your voter registration.

If you registered to vote shortly before the canvass forms were sent, your name may not appear on the form. The household information is sent to the printers a few weeks before the forms are posted, so there can be a crossover in the data.

People over the age of 76 are no longer eligible for jury service. We are required to provide this information to the Jury Summoning Service.

We are required by law to send a canvass form every year to check who is eligible to register to vote at your property.

This requirement is set out in Section 9D of the Representation of the People Act 1983, the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001, and the Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.

If you do not respond, we are legally required to follow up with reminder forms and may also contact you by phone using the contact details held on the register, so that we can confirm the information for your address.

If there is a residential part of the shop or business, the residents or the property owner or manager need to respond. If the property is used solely for business purposes and nobody lives there, delete any registered names and tick the “This is solely a business property” option.

The address details are taken from our Electoral Management System, which is linked to the National Land and Property Gazetteer. Please tell us about any changes. We may need to pass these on to our Street Naming and Numbering Team to investigate.

Yes. Please respond with the current information about who is living at the property on the day you respond. Once you move to your new address, remember to register to vote online. During the registration process, you will be asked to provide your previous address so that we can update the electoral register for both your previous and new address.

If you would like to discuss the canvass further. Please use this link to access our contact details. 

Electoral Services

Feedback & Share