Tim Ball

Make sure that you take part and have your say in what your local politicians do on your behalf and register to vote this year, I hear from many residents with complaints all year round and often find that they complain that they do not get a say in what goes on.

 
The answer is if you do not vote then those that do will always get their way and the first part in this process is to register to vote.

 At the end of August all households within Bath & North East Somerset Council will receive an envelope from the Electoral Registration Officer containing the annual canvass form. It will list all the people currently on the electoral register for the address. Electors are asked to simply add anyone who should be registered and isn’t on the list and cross out anyone who no longer lives at the address. 

 The form should be signed and returned to the council as soon as possible. If you are reading this and are not from Bath & North East Somerset Council then contact your own council about how you can register to vote don’t leave it to others make sure that you are registered.

 
Although the majority of forms returned to the Council are for properties where the electors details have remained the same, there are properties where either additions or deletions to the list of people living at the property have taken place. In this case the form MUST BE RETURNED BY POST.

Registration Methods where details remain the same

 The electronic registration service allows the registrant to confirm that their details have remained unchanged from last year without having to physically return the canvass form. I addition to post, these methods are as follows:

 ·  Telephone Service - call 0800 197 8643

 The telephone service directs the registrant using a series of recorded voice prompts. On dialling the number the elector is asked to provide the two part security number and to confirm that the information on the canvass form is correct. This service is also available in 6 extra languages: Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi and Slovak;

 
Internet Service - www.registerbyinternet.com/bathnes

 The internet service works on the same principle as the telephone service. The registrant provides the security code and confirms that the details currently held by the Electoral Registration Officer are correct.