Cheltenham residents are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.

The annual canvass allows Cheltenham Borough Council to keep the electoral register up to date and to encourage residents to register before it’s too late.

Text and email messages started being sent to residents yesterday (Monday 27 July). Paper forms will be delivered from 29 August to mid-September to residents that the council doesn’t have contact details for.

Gareth Edmundson, electoral registration officer and returning officer for Cheltenham Borough Council, said: “Keep an eye out for important updates from Cheltenham Borough Council. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.

“If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online.”

Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details. Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

Jackie Killeen, director of electoral administration and regulation, said: “It’s really important that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. We urge people to check for updates from their local council on this year’s canvass. The council may contact residents by post or email.

“If you are not registered to vote, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local council when asked and register to vote online.”

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact their local council’s electoral services team at Cheltenham Borough Council by email at elections@cheltenham.gov.uk or call 01242 264132.