Sandwell residents are being reminded not to lose their right to vote by completing their annual canvass form and returning it to the council.

Letters were sent every household in Sandwell in early August to check who lives there and who is eligible to vote. Anyone who hasn't responded needs to do so as soon as possible. Reminders will soon go out to people who have yet to respond to the form. 

By responding, either to confirm the details are correct or to make changes, residents can ensure they can vote in future elections. It also means the council can remove people who have moved away from the electoral register.

Being on the electoral register also has other advantages - if you're not registered to vote it can affect your credit rating. Sandwell Council's Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer, Jan Britton, said:

"We’ve already had responses from more than half of all households in Sandwell, so for those who haven’t responded yet, it’s important you do that as soon as possible. We need to make sure we have the right details on the electoral register for every address in Sandwell to make sure you are able to vote in future.

"All households must respond - even if they have no changes. You can do this online, by text or through an automated phoneline and only takes a couple of minutes.”

People who have moved address recently are particularly encouraged to keep an eye out for the form and check the details. Research by the independent Electoral Commission indicates that recent home movers are far less likely to be registered than those that have lived at the same address for a long time.

Across Great Britain, 94% of people who have been at their property for more than sixteen years will be registered, compared to 40% of people who have lived at an address for less than one year.

For people who are not already registered to vote, they can register in five minutes online. Anyone who has questions can contact the council's electoral services team on 0121 569 3244.