Any potential electors identified, for example by a successful response to a canvass communication, direct contact from individuals, the automatic voter registration process or by other local data matching, should where eligible be invited to make an application to register to vote. You should do this by sending an invitation to register (ITR) and an application form.
The ITR must invite potential electors to make an application to register as soon as reasonably practicable and within 28 calendar days of the date that you identified that they may be entitled to be registered.
Where the 28-day period ends on a weekend or bank holiday, the period is extended to the next working day.1
Your EMS should have a mechanism for keeping a record of the date on which you conclude that an individual may be entitled to be registered, which then starts the 28-day period.
You should have a process in place to identify whether an application to register has been made before you give an invitation. You should not issue an ITR to an individual who has made an application to register, or if you identify that they are not eligible to register to vote.
Your EMS may be able to automate a process to check for applications received through any allowed channels before you issue an ITR.
If the name on an application does not exactly match the name of the individual to whom you have sent an invitation or a notice of registration, some manual checking of applications may be required.
A manual check could be done by cross-checking the details on an application against your list of potential new electors to whom you have sent an ITR or notice of registration.