Annual update of the electoral register

Every year, we write to every household in the city to update the details we hold for the electoral register. We have to do this by law.

You will receive either a letter or an email from us asking you to check the details for your household. You need to tell us about any changes, for example, if there are any new residents, if anyone has moved out or if any other details have changed.

You should tell us about:

• Any new residents not listed (all eligible residents over 16 years of age)
• If anyone listed has moved out
• If any other details have changed

In some cases, you may only need to respond if there are changes to report. It will tell you in the letter (or email) what you need to do.

The easiest way to respond is online at https://www.householdresponse.com/portsmouth. You will need the security codes printed in the letter (or in the email).

All eligible residents should be included. You are eligible to register to vote if:

• You are resident in the UK, and
• You are aged 16 or over (you will not be able to vote until you are 18), and
• You are a British, Irish or European Union citizen or a Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter or remain in the UK, or who does not require such leave.

Step 1
Let us know who is living at your address. You can do this online at https://www.householdresponse.com/portsmouth

Step 2
Any new residents should register to vote by going to https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

If there are changes to report, please let us know online at https://www.householdresponse.com/portsmouth.

You will need the security codes printed on the letter (or in the email).

If your name has changed, for example, if you have got married, or if there is a spelling error, you should let us know.

You can do this online at https://www.householdresponse.com/portsmouth

You will need the security codes printed on the letter (or in the email).

We may ask you to provide further information or evidence and we will write to you if this is necessary.

Step 1
Let us know who is living at your address. You can do this online at https://www.householdresponse.com/portsmouth

Step 2
You, and any other new residents, should register to vote by going to https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Registering to vote is important as voting is how you have your say in the way your city and your country are run. If you are not registered to vote, you are not able to vote at elections and referendums.

Registering to vote may also improve your credit rating.

The way we update the electoral register has changed and households can follow two different routes.

The route your household will follow is decided by a national data matching exercise in which registered voters are matched against Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) records. Some further local matching is completed using council tax records.

Route 1
If all registered voters are matched against DWP records, the household will follow route 1. This means that the household only needs to respond if there are changes to report.

Route 2
If some registered voters are not matched against DWP records, this may show that our records are not correct. These properties follow route 2 and a response is needed.

The letter will tell you what you need to do.

You may have received an email if you have previously provided your email address to us, for example, when registering to vote.

Your email address is only used by us to contact you about voter registration matters. It is not made available for other purposes.

If you no longer wish to be contacted by email, please email us at electoral-register@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to unsubscribe.