Annual Canvass 2025

The Electoral Services Team is currently preparing the new Register of Electors, which will be used from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026.

From Friday 8 August 2025, we will be sending letters to all households in the city to help us identify all those entitled to register to vote.

What is an annual canvass

Every year the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has a legal duty to contact all households in the city to:

make sure all eligible residents are correctly registered at each address
make sure the electoral register is accurate and up to date

This is called the Annual Canvass.

We use the information we receive to update the electoral register by:

inviting unregistered residents to apply to register
updating existing elector details
removing the names of people who no longer live at each property

Updates from the canvass are included in the new register published on 1 December 2025.

How the annual canvass works

Data from the electoral register is matched with records from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the results of the data matching will determine how you are contacted.

There are two possible routes:

Route 1 - If all the people registered to vote at the property can be matched.
Route 2 - If there are people at the property that cannot be matched.

You will initially receive a canvass communication form delivered to your door.

The canvass communication may not be addressed to you. This is to help us identify who should be registered to vote at your address. We address it to a 'resident' because the person or people that we have registered may no longer live at the property.

 Route 1 - Canvass Communication A

If all the residents' details are correct, you do not need to respond.

You only need to respond if:

your details are incorrect
you wish to add or remove a person (16 or over) at your address.

Route 2 - Canvass Communication B or Canvass Form

You are legally required to respond, even if there are no changes to make. 

Why have I received a postal vote application

Your canvass document may include an additional form(s). This is a postal vote application form for those electors whose postal vote is due to expire.

If there are people at the property who do not have a postal vote, or applied for a postal vote on, or after 31 January 2024, or have recently applied to renew their postal vote, they will not have a form enclosed.

Further Information about the Postal Vote renewal process can be found here

How to respond to the canvass form

The quickest and easiest way to respond is online. You'll need to enter the security codes printed on your form.

Go to www.householdresponse.com/sunderland

Enter Security code part 1 (6 digits) and Security code part 2 (8 digits) followed by your postcode. Follow the instructions on screen.

Other ways to respond:

By phone - If there are no changes, call  0800 197 9871  and follow the instructions. You'll be asked to provide the security codes from your form.
By text - If there are no changes, text  NOCHANGE  followed by your security codes to  80212.
By post - Whether there are changes or not, you can complete the paper form and post it back to us.

Adding a name to the canvass form does not automatically register that person to vote.

If a new name is added:

That person can register themselves online at register to vote .

To register you need to fill in your name, address, date of birth and a few other details. You'll also need your national insurance number, which can be found on your national insurance card, or in official paperwork such as payslips, or letters about benefits or tax credits.

Look out for a confirmation to say you're registered.

If you need assistance contact our City and Neighbourhood team . We can complete your application over the phone.