More than 100,000 people in Wirral are being urged to check their inboxes for an important email from the council. Wirral Council has begun sending out its annual canvass of voters ahead of a crucial election next spring.
All-out election in May 2027
In May, the council will undergo an "all out" election, meaning every seat in every ward will be contested. Each councillor will be elected for a four-year term, before residents return to the polls again in May 2031.
The Labour Party is currently the largest group on the council, led by council leader Cllr Paula Basnett. However, despite being the largest party, Labour does not have enough seats to command a majority in Wallasey Town Hall. Labour holds just over a third of the 66 seats, with the Green Party and Conservatives also holding a considerable presence.
Legal requirement to respond
Under the law, residents must provide the information if they are contacted, so they must respond whether there are changes at their address or not. The deadline to respond to the annual canvass email is midnight on Sunday, August 2.
If the council does not have an email address on record for a household, or does not receive a response to its email, a paper form will be delivered to the address.
Official urges quick response
Matthew Bennett, electoral registration officer for Wirral Council, said: "Completing your annual canvass return is quick and easy to do and allows us to keep the electoral register up to date, and ensures you can vote in upcoming elections."
He added: "Doing your bit now means we can complete the canvass as quickly and smoothly as possible, and we won’t need to contact you again for another year."
Being on the electoral register also provides people with an improved credit score, through validating their address.
