The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001

[F1 [F2 Annual canvass for properties where it may be necessary to make any addition to, or deletion from, an electoral register and steps to be taken where no response is received E+W

32ZBD.— (1) A registration officer must attempt to make contact with a person who is, or may be eligible to be, registered, in a register F3 ... at a residential address in the area for which the officer is responsible by–

(a) sending a paper communication to the address, or

(b) visiting the address in order to obtain the information required by the canvass form.

(2) If no information in response is received within a reasonable time following an attempt to make contact with a person under paragraph (1), the registration officer must make a further attempt to make contact with at least one person at the address in order to obtain the information required by the canvass form.

(3) If no information in response is received within a reasonable time following an attempt to make contact with at least one person under paragraph (2), the registration officer must make a further attempt to make contact with at least one person at the address in order to obtain the information required by the canvass form.

(4) Subject to paragraphs (6) to (9) a registration officer may comply with the requirements in paragraphs (2) and (3) by any of the following means—

(a) by sending a paper communication to the address;

(b) where the registration officer holds a telephone number for one or more persons aged 18 or over who are registered in the register of parliamentary electors in England or Wales, or the register of local government electors in England, at the address, and whom the registration officer believes are resident at that address, by means of a telephone call to each of those persons;

[F4 (ba) where the registration officer holds a telephone number for one or more persons aged 16 or over who are registered in the register of local government electors in Wales, at the address, and whom the registration officer believes are resident at that address, by means of a telephone call to each of those persons;]

(c) where the registration officer holds relevant contact details for one or more persons aged 18 or over who are registered in the register of parliamentary electors in England or Wales, or the register of local government electors in England, at the address, and whom the registration officer believes are resident at that address, by sending a communication by electronic means to each of those persons; F5 ...

[F6 (ca) where the registration officer holds relevant contact details for one or more persons aged 16 or over who are registered in the register of local government electors in Wales, at the address, and whom the registration officer believes are resident at that address, by sending a communication by electronic means to each of those persons; or]

(d) by visiting the address.

(5) Where a registration officer has complied with the requirements in paragraphs (1) and (2) but has not done so in either case by sending the canvass form to the address, and the registration officer is required to comply with paragraph (3), the registration officer must do so by sending that form to the address.

(6) Where a registration officer has complied with the requirement in paragraph (2) other than by sending a paper communication to the address or by visiting the address, and the registration officer is required to comply with paragraph (3), the registration officer must do so by sending a paper communication to the address or visiting the address but, where paragraph (5) applies, the registration officer must instead do so by sending the canvass form to that address.

(7) Where no information has been received in response to an attempt to make contact with a person under paragraph (3), and a registration officer has not already made an attempt to contact a person at that address by means of a telephone call or calls under paragraph (4)(b) or by visiting the address, the officer must make an attempt by one or other of these means in order to obtain the information required by the canvass form.

(8) A registration officer complies with the requirements in paragraphs (2), (3) or (7) by means of a telephone call or calls under paragraph (4)(b) without having to make a telephone call to each of the persons to whom that sub-paragraph relates, where—

(a) one of the persons to whom that sub-paragraph relates has provided the information required by the canvass form; or

(b) an identical telephone number is held in respect of all persons to whom that sub-paragraph relates.

(9) Where a registration officer complies with the requirements in paragraphs (1), (2) or (3) by sending a canvass form—

(a) before sending the form the registration officer must if practicable print on the form—

(i) any information required by the canvass form which the officer already holds in respect of each person who is registered at the address F7 ... with the exception of persons registered as mentioned in section 9D(6) of the 1983 Act;

(ii) the full name and nationality of each person whose application to be registered at the address in a register of parliamentary electors in England or Wales, or a register of local government electors in England, under section 10ZC(1) or 10ZD(1) of the 1983 Act has been successfully determined, where the date on which the applicant's name will be published in a notice of alteration under section 13A(2) of the 1983 Act is after the date on which the form will be sent, with the exception of persons registered as mentioned in section 9D(6) of the 1983 Act; F8 ...

(iii) an indication as to whether any person who is registered at that address is aged 76 or over; and

[F9 (iv) the full name, date of birth and nationality of each person whose application to be registered at the address in a register of local government electors in Wales, under section 10ZC(1) or 10ZD(1) of the 1983 Act has been successfully determined, where the date on which the applicant’s name will be published in a notice of alteration under section 13A(2) of the 1983 Act is after the date on which the form will be sent, with the exception of persons registered as mentioned in section 9D(6) of the 1983 Act; and]

(b) the form must be accompanied by a pre-addressed reply envelope, the postage of which has been pre-paid.

[F10 (9A) In relation to a register of local government electors in Wales, the registration officer must not, under paragraph 9, print on the form the date of birth of any person aged under 16.]

(10) In this regulation—

“canvass form” means the canvass form designed by the Electoral Commission under regulation 32ZBG(1)(a)(ii);

“paper communication” means—

(a)

the canvass form, or

(b)

the canvass communication B designed by the Electoral Commission under regulation 32ZBG(1)(a)(iii).]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Regs. 32ZA-32ZI inserted (10.6.2014) by The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Description of Electoral Registers and Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/3198), regs. 1(5)(c), 22 (as amended by S.I. 2014/1234, regs. 1(1), 4)

F2 Regs. 32ZBA-32ZBG inserted (31.12.2019) by The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1451), regs. 1(3), 11

F3 Words in reg. 32ZBD(1) omitted (22.1.2020) by virtue of The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(a)

F4 Reg. 32ZBD(4)(ba) inserted (22.1.2020) by The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(b)(i)

F5 Word in reg. 32ZBD(4)(c) omitted (22.1.2020) by virtue of The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(b)(ii)

F6 Reg. 32ZBD(4)(ca) inserted (22.1.2020) by The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(b)(iii)

F7 Words in reg. 32ZBD(9)(a)(i) omitted (22.1.2020) by virtue of The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(c)(i)

F8 Word in reg. 32ZBD(9)(a)(ii) omitted (22.1.2020) by virtue of The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(c)(ii)

F9 Reg. 32ZBD(9)(a)(iv) inserted (22.1.2020) by The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(c)(iii)

F10 Reg. 32ZBD(9A) inserted (22.1.2020) by The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/50), regs. 2, 15(d)