Residents in North Devon are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.

North Devon Council starts its annual canvass later this month. The canvass ensures the electoral register is kept up to date, as well as identifying those who risk losing their voice at elections, and encouraging them to register to vote before it’s too late.

The council’s Electoral Services team will be emailing and writing to households to ask them to check that the information about the people living in the property is correct.

The correspondence asks electors to follow the instructions to ensure that they are registered and ready to vote. Some electors may see an action to respond and are being asked to do so as quickly as possible.

Electoral Registration Officer at North Devon Council, Ken Miles, says: “The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. We want to make sure people are aware they will receive either an email, letter or phone call from us and reassure them that they are not scams, but an important part of the voting system which should not be ignored.

“To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you. It only takes five minutes to confirm the details or update them. If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details. Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

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

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact their North Devon Council’s Elections team by emailing elections@northdevon.gov.uk