Bridgend County Borough electoral canvass begins

The 2019-20 electoral canvass for Bridgend County Borough has been launched and will move through a series of phases between now and November.

Intended to ensure that the electoral register for the area remains up-to-date and that all eligible voters are included, the canvass will begin with an email to more than 20,600 households who provided email contacts as part of last year’s canvass.

The email is being issued by electoral software provider, Idox, and will ask householders to confirm that their details are correct.

The email is designed to make it as easy as possible for eligible people to ensure that they are included on the new electoral register. When the first phase of the annual canvass ends in early July, forms will be delivered to all remaining homes, including any that may not have responded to the email.

The forms will be issued in two stages, with the first batch arriving between 26 July - 4 August, and the second stage from 27 August. They will include pre-paid envelopes that householders can use to return them to the council.

The third and final stage will run between 28 September - 1 November and will involve council canvassers displaying official identification who will call at households that have not responded to any of the previous attempts.

It is important to make sure that you are on the electoral register for a wide number of reasons, and this process is designed to ensure that nobody misses out.

It is especially important for people who may have recently moved into the area, or for households where people may have become eligible to vote since the last canvass was undertaken.

Being on the electoral register can mean the difference between having your say and losing your voice on issues that affect you. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and I hope that as many people as possible take part and ensure that they can continue to have their say.

Council Leader Huw David