Running electoral registration - England

You must make enquiries of all proxy vote applications granted on the specific grounds of occupation, service, employment or attendance on an educational course within three years of granting the application, or of the last such enquiry.1 The purpose is to establish whether there has been a material change in circumstances that would mean that the person is no longer entitled to their proxy vote. You may make additional enquiries at any time.

You will need to put arrangements in place to schedule and track the progress of any such enquiries. You could, for example, include this in your monthly procedures for publishing a notice of alteration.

The format and content of these enquiries is not prescribed. You may contact the elector via email, phone or letter. Where you make an enquiry by phone, you should keep a written note for your records. Your communications should clearly state any deadline period of one month for replying and the consequences of not responding.

If an elector fails to respond within one month, you are entitled to cancel the absent vote.2 Cancellation in these circumstances is discretionary and you may wish to send the elector further reminders before cancelling. If the cancellation would fall immediately before a poll, you should consider not exercising the discretion until after the poll to avoid the elector potentially being disenfranchised. Whatever approach you take, you should ensure that it is applied consistently.