Running electoral registration - England

This section of the guidance covers the impact that conducting the ECR process may have on the annual canvass, including on your decisions about assigning canvass routes and the timing of publication of the revised register. 

Timing of the ECR process in relation to the annual canvass

You will need to consider how the decisions you make about the way you carry out the ECR process may impact how you run the canvass in 2024. 

Your decision on the most appropriate time to carry out the ECR will depend on your local circumstances, including the scale of the write out required in your area and the impact of post-poll work following any elections in May 2024.

When making the decision about when you will run the ECR process you should consider:

• The results of your data-based review, which will inform you how many EU citizens you will need to review by correspondence  
• The requirement that you must: 
  • write to or email every EU citizen on your register confirmed as eligible through the data-based review
  • review every EU citizen on your register where the outcome of the data-based review was that you are unable to confirm their eligibility
  • make three written contacts and a personal contact attempt within the full reminder cycle 
• The timing between this process and the national canvass data matching service provided by the IERDS. 
• The number of staff available to you, both in your core team and as temporary staff, and the need to train them
• What information you include in your messaging, as canvass communications will also need to be sent in the same time period
• The ability of your printers to produce the additional forms and materials needed

Conducting the ECR before the annual canvass

If you decide to conduct the ECR before you start the annual canvass, you will also need to think about:

• the availability of staff post-election (if you have elections in May 2024) and pre-canvass to manage the process, answer queries and make personal contacts when required
• clear messaging to EU citizens, taking into account that their household will also receive a canvass communication shortly after the ECR letter/email has been sent

Conducting the ECR during the annual canvass

If you decide to conduct the ECR during the canvass period, you will need to think about:

• processing canvass returns at the same time as responses to the ECR process
• utilising canvassers to complete the personal contact part of the ECR process at the same time as door-knocking for the canvass
• mitigations for queries/confusion from electors who receive canvass communications at the same time as being contacted as part of the ECR process

Conducting the ECR after the annual canvass

If you decide to conduct the ECR process after canvass, you will need to think about:

• Timescales, including:
  • whether you will have sufficient time to complete all three possible contact stages as appropriate by the end of 31 January 2025
  • whether you will use your ability to delay publication of the revised register until 1 February 2025 and, if so, what impact that may have on your preparations for any May 2025 polls
• staff availability and, if you are conducting the personal contact stage at this time, your success rates for making contact with electors
• tailoring your communications so that individuals understand a response is required to any ECR correspondence, even if they have already completed a canvass response

You will need to be satisfied that you will have sufficient time to take all necessary steps to ensure your registers are as accurate and complete as possible by the time of publication. 

Your public engagement strategy and project plan should reflect your considerations for conducting the ECR process.