Torbay residents are being warned not to lose their voice on decisions that affect them by making sure their electoral registration details are up to date.

The annual canvass ensures that we can keep the electoral register up to date, identifying any residents who are not registered to vote so that they can be encouraged to do so.

Anne-Marie Bond, Electoral Registration Officer at Torbay Council said: “It’s important that residents who are already on the Electoral Register look out for messages from us, so we can make sure we have the right details on the electoral register for every address in Torbay. We will send you either a form or email for you to respond to. To make sure you are able to have your say at elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.”

If you are not currently registered and want to be able to vote in the future then you need to register. The easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. People who have moved recently are particularly encouraged to check that they are registered. Research by the Electoral Commission, published in 2019, indicates that recent home movers are far less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. Across Great Britain, 92% of people who have been at their property for more than sixteen years will be registered, compared to 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than one year.

Melanie Davidson, Head of Support and Improvement at the Electoral Commission, said: “It’s really important that everyone who is entitled to vote is able to do so. Checking the messages that you will get from your local authority is the easiest way to see if you’re registered to vote. If you’re not, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local authority when it is needed and register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Any residents who have any questions can contact their local registration team. It is easiest to do this by email: electoral.registration@torbay.gov.uk, but if you need to  telephone the team can be contacted on 01803 208008.