Wrexham Council urges voter registration as Annual Canvass begins – Senedd elections to see 16 and 17 year olds able to vote

Sixteen and seventeen year olds will be able to head to the polls for the first time in next year’s Senedd elections.

Last November Members of the Senedd voted in favour of “historic legislation” which will implement the largest franchise extension in Wales since 1969.

The Bill, which allows those aged 16 and 17 to vote in Welsh elections, was passed by 41 votes to 19.

Wrexham Council are now encouraging anyone aged 14 and above to register to vote online to make sure they are on the electoral roll.

The local authority is updating the register and you will receive an Annual Canvass letter which is being sent to all households across Wrexham.

So as soon as you receive the form please check the details to see if you need to make any changes. You can check out how to respond below:

– If all the details on your form remain the same visit www.householdresponse.com/wrexham, call 0800 197 9871, or text NOCHANGE followed your security code to 80212 – standard charges will apply
– If the details need to be updated or if someone needs to be added or removed you should visit www.householdresponse.com/wrexham and make the necessary changes. Once this is done new people should then register individually on www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
– Alternatively, amend/complete the form and post it back to the council, but any new people you’ve added will still need to be to register individually on www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
– If you are unable to register online you will be sent an Invitation to Register form which you should complete. Once this is done you will be registered to vote.

If you haven’t received a form to complete, this will be because your details have matched with those kept by The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). In this case you will receive a letter at the end of August, and as long as nothing has changed, you don’t need to respond to it.

The only circumstance in which you don’t need to respond is if you receive a letter at the end of the month and the details are correct.

Everyone who receives a form from us will need to respond to confirm the details for your household, even if they are correct. More information on how to respond, can be found here.

Cllr David Kelly, Lead Member for Registration Services, said: “I’d like to say thanks to everyone who’s responded to the Annual Canvass so far. Many of you have confirmed and updated your household’s details, which is really appreciate.

“It’s essential that we hear back in every situation where a response is needed. It’s a very quick, straightforward process that’s massively important in ensuring we have the right details on the electoral register.

“Don’t worry if you haven’t received anything from us yet as some of you will receive a letter at the end of the month, which you may not need to respond to, so long as your details remain the same. But everyone who receives a form will need to respond.”

It’s a legal requirement to give the information asked for in the Annual Canvass. If you don’t respond to the form you could be fined up to £1,000 so make sure you don’t lose your opportunity to register to vote.