Annual canvass

If you receive a canvass form, but your property is empty, a second home or a business premise, we still need you to respond.

Please go to section 4 (for populated forms) or section 2 (for blank forms) and tick the appropriate box, sign and return the form.

You still need to respond even if you think no one living in your property is eligible to register to vote because of their nationality.

Please go to section 4 (for populated forms) or section 2 (for blank forms) and tick the appropriate box to say 'none of the residents are eligible to vote because of their nationality'.

We are very sorry for any distress this may have caused. To remove the entry of a deceased person from our register, we need to have received either a copy of the death certificate or a formal notification.

We receive a weekly report from the registrar of deaths in Surrey and through the Tell Us Once Service. Unfortunately, notification of a death may not be received in time for us to be able to stop a communication. We appreciate this can be distressing for relatives.

Please contact us to check if we are aware of the death.

You will not be able to amend your nationality online. Please complete the online response without changing your nationality. After you have submitted your online response, please e-mail us with your:

• Full name.
• Full address.
• Details of your previous and new nationality.
• Proof of your change of nationality, for example a photocopy of your passport or naturalisation certificate.
• If responding using the paper form, cross out your previous nationality and write your new nationality underneath.

• If responding online, follow the instructions for removing or adding a person.
• If responding on the paper form, cross out the name of the person who has moved away, or write the name of the person who has moved in (in the appropriate section).

Adding a person's name on the household enquiry response website, or to the canvass form, does not mean they will be added to the register of electors. All new people who are added to the canvass form will receive a form called an Invitation to Register (ITR). They need to complete and return the form to be added to the register.

If you provide the new person's e-mail address, we will e-mail the ITR form to them, otherwise, they will receive a paper form.

The ITR form will ask them for additional information, including their national insurance number and date of birth. Once received, they can respond to the ITR online at www.gov.uk/registertovote.

• If responding online, follow the instructions to mark them as 76 or over.
• If responding using the paper form, go to the Over 76? column, cross out the word 'no' and write 'yes' underneath.

We ask for this information because it is used by the courts when selecting people for jury service. Those aged 76 or over are exempt from being called.

• If responding online, follow the instructions to type in your new name.
• If responding via paper form, cross out your previous name(s) and write your new name(s) underneath.

After we receive and process your canvass form, we will send you a change of name form to complete and return with proof of your change of name (for example, a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, deed poll document or an amended birth certificate).

If you are listed as voting in person, but want to change to vote by post or proxy, please cross out in person and write by post or by proxy underneath. We will send you the relevant application form to complete and return to arrange postal or proxy voting.

If you are listed as voting by post or by proxy and want to change this to vote in person at your polling station, please cross out by post or by proxy write in person underneath. We will send you an absent voting cancellation request you must complete and return to cancel your postal or proxy vote.

Under the included on the open register column, it will say either yes or no.

If it says yes next to your name, it means your details are currently on the open register, which is available for purchase by any person, company or organisation.

If it says no, it means your details are not included on the open register and only appear on the electoral register, which may only be used for specific, controlled purposes.

If you wish to change your open register preference, please do the following:

• If responding online, follow the instructions for changing your preference.
• If responding by paper, cross out yes or no and write the appropriate change underneath.

After we receive and process your canvass form, we will write to you to confirm your open register preference change.