Canvass
The Electoral Register
The Electoral Register is a list of everyone who is registered to vote in the City of Lincoln. It is a public document that is also used by credit reference agencies for the purposes of considering a person's credit rating and political parties.
The Annual Canvass
The Council is required to undertake a canvass every year - this is a significant data-gathering exercise in which the Elections Team ensures that the Electoral Register for Lincoln is as up to date as possible.
The information held by the Council on the Electoral Register is matched with Council Tax records and data held by the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm whether your residency may have changed. You will therefore receive one of two letters as part of the canvass:
- Details confirmed and validated - no further action necessary. You will receive this letter if your details have already matched on the Council's system confirming that your residency has not changed and your status on the Electoral Register is correct.
- Details have not matched - response required. You will receive this letter, which is a canvass form, if the details held for you on the Electoral Register do not match records held by the Department for Works and Pensions or Council Tax. This form will require a response and names can be added, deleted or amended. This should preferably be done online, via text or over the telephone. There is also an option to return the form in the pre-paid envelope provided if necessary.
Check your information carefully
It is important to check the information contained in the letter you receive and ensure that your details are kept up to date. Failure to do this could result in you not being included on the Electoral Register, meaning you may be ineligible to participate in future elections. This could also detrimentally affect your credit rating.