Residents of the Harrogate district have been urged to make sure they don’t lose the chance to have their say in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections, taking place on Thursday 15 November.
Over the last two months, households in the district have received an annual canvass voter registration form which must be returned to Harrogate Borough Council, Council Offices, Crescent Gardens, Harrogate HG1 2SG.
Peter Jordan, the council’s Head of Legal and Democratic Services, says that out of the district’s 71,000 households, 11,000 have not bothered to respond to this year’s canvass.
Peter Jordan said:
Some people wrongly assume that paying council tax means you are registered to vote but this isn’t the case. These voters are in danger of not having their say in the first Police and Crime Commissioner elections taking place on 15 November.
Our canvassers now have the task of knocking on doors so that we can chase up those who have not responded. This is costly to the council taxpayer and it is so easy for them to let us know whether the information we hold for their household is correct. I would urge all 11,000 to return their forms as quickly as they can.
The government rules are that the council must send out a written reminder and then canvassers have to knock on doors at least twice. This reminder exercise costs in the region of £25,000.
Those who have not received, or have lost, the form can call 01423 556008 or print off a registration form at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
For more information, contact the local Electoral Registration Officer on 01423 556008.
