Residents in North Yorkshire urged to check they are registered to vote

The annual canvass is under way to enable North Yorkshire 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 is too late.

Anyone who has provided the council with an email address will receive an update over the coming weeks, with the first emails going out from Monday, July 3. Everyone else will receive a letter.

North Yorkshire Council’s electoral registration officer, Richard Flinton, who is also the authority’s chief executive, said: “Keep an eye out for important updates from us. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions we send you.

“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 Register to vote - GOV.UK”

Recent home movers are urged to check their details. Electoral Commission research has found that they are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92 per cent of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36 per cent of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact the electoral services team at [email protected] or telephone 0300 131 2 131