Posted on: Thursday 21 July 2022
Residents in Torfaen 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 Torfaen Council to keep the electoral register up to date, to identify who risks losing their voice at elections, and to encourage them to register before it’s too late.
More people can vote in Welsh elections than ever before, so this is an important opportunity to update the electoral register.
Anyone aged 16 or over can vote in Welsh local government and Senedd elections, regardless of where they were born.
Caroline Genever-Jones, Deputy Returning Officer at Torfaen Council, said:
“The annual canvass is underway and households will start to receive canvass letters from next Monday. It’s our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate.
“If you receive Canvass Communication A and the information is correct, you don’t need to do anything. If you receive Canvass Communication B you will need to update the information and return it to us. For households that have already received and replied to an email from our electoral registration team, you won’t get a letter.”
“If you don’t hear from the council at all, you might not be on the register. To register, the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. If an email is your preferred choice of communication, please enter your email address on the registration forms within the gov.uk site”
Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details.
Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time.
Residents with questions about their registration status can contact their local council’s electoral services team on 01495 762200 or email voting@torfaen.gov.uk