Residents are being reminded not to lose their voice on decisions that affect them by making sure their details are up-to-date on the electoral register.
Each year, the council is required to undertake an annual canvass of all households in the borough to check that the information on the register is as accurate and as up to date as possible. This process also helps to identify any residents who are not registered to vote and encourages them to register.
The council will be sending emails and letters to residents between now and November to find out who should be registered to vote at each address and to check that the current information is up-to-date. This information will be used to compile the revised electoral register for 2021 and will be published on 1 December 2021, ready for 2022.
David Scott, electoral registration officer at the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, said: “It’s important that residents keep an eye out for messages from the Royal Borough so we can make sure we have the right details on the register for every address in the area. To make sure you’re able to have your say at elections, simply follow the instructions on the emails or letters you get from us.
“Where possible, we are encouraging residents to confirm their details online using the information sent to them, rather than posting paper forms back to us, as this is the quickest and easiest way to update the details for your household, and it’s more environmentally friendly too.
“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear on the letters or emails we send. If you want to register, the easiest and quickest way to do so is online at
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, or we’ll send you information explaining how to do this in the post.
“This year’s canvass is taking place following a challenging public health situation. This means that we are doing things a little differently again this year as we will rely more on email, postal and telephone communications and less on home visits from canvassers.”
People who have recently moved home are particularly encouraged to look out for the voter registration messages sent by the council either via email - from
electoral.registration.rb.windsor.and.maidenhead@notifications.service.gov.uk - or in the post, and to respond.
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 at
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voterResidents who have any questions can contact the registration helpline by calling 01628 683868 or email
electoral.registration@rbwm.gov.uk 
