Make sure you can vote next May 2027

Make sure you can vote next May 2027 – annual canvass now under way

Residents across the borough are being contacted this summer to check their details on the electoral register, ahead of the first elections for the new North Hampshire unitary council taking place in May 2027.

Each year, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council must legally check that household information on the register is correct. Some residents may also be asked to renew their postal vote. A data‑matching exercise with the Department for Work and Pensions helps identify which households need to confirm or update their details.

Households whose information matches DWP records and for whom the council holds an email address will receive an email from [email protected] asking them to confirm or amend their details. Later this month, paper forms will be sent to households without an email address on record, where details do not match, or where a property appears empty.

Residents should follow the instructions in the email or letter they receive. Being on the electoral register is a legal requirement for eligible voters and is essential for taking part in next year’s elections.

This year’s canvass ensures residents are ready to vote when councillors are elected to help establish the new unitary council. From May 2027 until March 2028 it will operate as a “shadow council”, preparing to take on all local government services across north Hampshire from 1 April 2028. Until then, services will continue to be delivered by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.

From mid‑October, council canvassers will visit properties that have not responded. They will carry official identification and can help residents update their details.

Electoral Registration Officer Fiona Thomsen said:

“You must be on the electoral register if you want to vote. Please follow the instructions in the email or letter you receive from us to check whether your details are correct or need updating.”

The electoral register is also used for credit checks, jury service selection and identity verification to prevent fraud.

More information is at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/elections-and-voting