Local authorities are legally required to carry out an annual canvass of all properties in their area. West Berkshire Council conducts this canvass between August and November each year, and a revised register is published on 1 December. It is a legal requirement for residents to confirm the information held for their household.
Your household needs to respond to the annual canvass form when you get one.
Look out for your form or email from the end of August
During the canvass, every property in West Berkshire will be contacted by post or email. Forms are addressed to "The Resident", but anyone in the household may respond.
If your household details need updating, please reply as soon as possible to avoid reminder notices.
On this page
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If you receive a form
If you receive a letter by post, please read it carefully. The letter will tell you whether you need to respond. If you need to respond, please use one of the methods offered in the letter, as we no longer automatically include pre-paid envelopes.
If you receive an email
Emails sent at the end of August are genuine if they come from vote@westberks.gov.uk.
Please use the link provided in the email to respond by the deadline, whether updates are required or not.
If we do not receive a response, we must send a paper form, which is costly. Working with Civica Election Services allows us to provide online, postal, and telephone response options efficiently and economically.
How to respond
During the canvass period, you can respond in the following ways:
online on the household response website using the security codes provided - security codes can be used only once, so please respond on behalf of the entire household
by telephone on 01635 519464
If a response is required but we do not receive one from you, you may be contacted by telephone. We will only speak to a registered elector at your address and will ask a short set of questions to update your household information.
Please confirm your details as soon as possible to ensure you appear on the 1 December register.
Permanent postal vote arrangements no longer exist. Postal votes now last a maximum of three years. After this period, they must be renewed, or they will automatically expire.
If your postal vote is due for renewal, this will be shown on your canvass form.
The quickest way to reapply is online, but you can request paper forms by calling 01635 519464 or emailing vote@westberks.gov.uk.
The annual canvass ensures the Electoral Register is accurate and up to date. It allows residents to inform the Electoral Services team about:
people who should be registered to vote
people who no longer live at the property
new residents
anyone who will turn 16 in the following year
any corrections or changes to residents' details
It is especially important for those who have recently moved to check whether they are correctly registered.
After you've told us about any changes
Once you have updated your household information, any new or additional residents aged 16 or over must still register individually. Responding to the canvass does not register you to vote, even if you pay the council tax.
provide your name, address, date of birth and other details
you will need your national insurance number - you can find your national insurance number on official documents such as a P60, payslip or letters about benefits; if you receive a state pension, it will be on your bank statement
If you cannot register online, please contact us for a paper Invitation to Register form.
Why registering matters
You need to register in order to be able to vote. If you are not registered to vote, you won't have the chance to have a say on who represents you. Not being registered can also affect applications for credit, loans, mortgages, bank accounts, or mobile phone contracts, as credit reference agencies use the register for verification.
Who can be included on the register?
You must be included on the Electoral Register if you are:
aged 16 or 17 (although you cannot vote until you are 18)
