Running electoral registration - Scotland

Discretionary communications

Discretionary communications

The canvass communications designed by the Commission are specifically for use during the canvass and there is no legislative provision for their use outside the canvass period. However, you can still make contact with households throughout the year to help maintain your electoral register, especially when you have evidence that there may have been changes that need to be captured.

We have produced template forms for contacting households outside of the canvass, which you may wish to use. These are available on our Registration forms and letters webpage.

You may also design your own form for use throughout the year, but if you do so it should not be referred to as a Canvass Form, and should not contain information that is only applicable to the canvass.

Any discretionary communication for use outside of the canvass does not need to be pre-printed with existing elector details but can be if you wish. 

You may decide that a household notification letter is more appropriate for contacting certain households outside of the canvass as part of your work to maintain the register. The household notification letter has been designed to prompt unregistered individuals to register. 
 

Last updated: 1 July 2021