Wiltshire Council canvassers visit homes to sign up voters

Wiltshire Council say their friendly canvassers began visiting homes on 18th September to invite residents to join the electoral roll.

A team of 60 canvassers will tour the county talking to people who haven’t yet returned the household enquiry form that was sent to every address in the county in the summer.

 Canvassers will carry council ID. They will not ask for personal information such as date of birth or National Insurance numbers. The process should take no longer than five minutes. If residents respond now, canvassers won’t need to call on them.

The council urges people to return the form online or by phone. That saves taxpayers’ money in postal costs. Residents may still return the paper forms by post in the pre-paid envelope provided if they are unable to use the automated options.

By 13th September, 159,000 household enquiry forms – 74% of the total – had been returned. That left 60,000 households for the canvassers to visit.

 Dr Carlton Brand, Wiltshire Council corporate director and the county’s electoral registration officer said,“We are delighted with the response so far. More people than ever before are responding digitally, which is such a benefit because it saves a lot of money which can be used on other services. We are anxious that everyone who is eligible to vote gets on the electoral register. The right to cast a ballot is a vital element of being a citizen, and it is so important that all potential voters claim their vote.”

The council’s annual canvass launched on 2nd August, with forms landing on 220,000 doormats across the county.