Transcript Canvasser training template

Register of electors canvasser briefing
session
1
Introduction
Add names of trainers
2
Objectives of
the training
session
• To outline your duties as a canvasser
• To ensure that you are confident about all
aspects of your role
3
Change to the
registration
system –
Individual
electoral
registration
(IER)
• The way you register to vote changed
on 10 June [19 September in
Scotland]
• Electors are now responsible for
registering themselves. Under the old
system the ‘head of the household’
could register everyone who lived at
an address
• New electors must now provide their
National Insurance number and date
of birth when applying to register
• The majority of existing electors were
automatically re-registered under the
new system
4
How to register • Potential electors can now register in
different ways:
– by applying online at www.gov.uk/registerto-vote
– by returning an IER application form
– by phone [if offered] / in person [if offered]
5
The role of the
canvasser
6
What forms will • Households will be surveyed during the
canvass period to confirm who lives at an
residents
receive? HEFs address, so we know who is and who isn’t
registered.
• They’ll will receive a household enquiry
form – a ‘HEF’.
• Outside the canvass period, we will also
send HEFs to properties where we think
we may be able to identify new electors.
7
What forms will • Anyone identified on a HEF who is eligible
and not already registered will be invited
residents
to register to vote – they’ll receive an
receive? ITRs
‘ITR’ and an application to register.
• We may also identify electors through
other means and they’ll also receive an
ITR and an application to register.
• Another category – unconfirmed electors
– will also receive an ITR and an
application to register.
8
• [Deliver a household enquiry form (HEF) /
Invitations to register (ITR) and
Key canvasser reminders].
• Visit households / electors that have not
activities
responded to a HEF or ITR to encourage
a return:
– obtain a correctly completed form
– if no answer - return at a later time/date
– if still no answer - leave form and envelope
at the property, along with our standard
letter and mark your canvass list
accordingly
– record date and time of visits
9
The Household Enquiry
Form (HEF)
10
The HEF
• Purpose: to obtain up-to-date information,
so we can identify who lives at an address
and, if they are not already registered,
invite them to register.
• [If allowing responses by phone/online,
indicate this here]
11
Example HEF – pre-printed
12
Example HEF - blank
13
Online return
of the HEF
• [Insert screenshot if offered]
14
Using tablets / • [To be included if you are providing
smartphones to canvassers with electronic equipment to
complete and submit HEF returns directly
collect
– to cover, for example: How should the
information and equipment be operated? How to log in
submit a HEF
and keep passwords secure? What are
return
your policies on canvassers using the
equipment for other purposes?]
15
Information
required
Address
• Pre-printed with address details in most
cases
• Make any corrections to the address if
advised to you by a member of the
household
• If you have to use a completely blank form
(e.g. if you have identified a new property)
please fill in address, including the code for
that particular polling district.
16
Information
required
Names
• Make sure any pre-printed names are
correct, and cross out or amend any that
are incorrect
• Add any names as appropriate
Nationality
• If pre-printed, check the nationality is
correct.
• If the nationality field is blank, ask ‘what is
your nationality’?
17
Information
required
Other information
• jury service (over 70s only) [delete
in Scotland]
• postal / proxy vote
• open register – see instructions on
changing opt-out preference
Contact details (e-mail / telephone)
Collect these if possible – they will help us
contact electors quickly in case of further
queries.
18
Information
required
16 and 17 year olds
• Always ask if there are any 16 or 17 yearolds living at the property, and ensure they
are included on the form
19
Information
required
Nobody eligible to vote?
Section for recording the reason
• Examples:
–
–
–
–
property obviously empty
business premises
second home
ineligible nationality (i.e. foreign nationals
other than European Union or qualifying
Commonwealth citizens) – give nationality
20
Information
required
Declaration and signature
•The form must be signed by the person
supplying the information
• DO NOT sign on behalf of the occupier;
you can only sign a form where the property
is clearly empty or does not exist
21
Key messages
when following
up with HEF
non-responders
22
New properties • You can play an important role in
identifying ‘new’ properties
•If a new property (or conversion) is
identified and it is not on your list, obtain a
completed HEF from that property and
update your list with the ‘new’ property
information
23
Invitations to register
and the IER application
form
24
• Purpose: to register electors under the
Invitations to
new system of individual electoral
register and
IER application registration
forms
25
Who will
receive an
invitation to
register?
• Potential new electors – identified
through, for example, the HEF, your
personal visit or local data
• Existing electors who could not be
automatically transferred onto the new
IER registers – unconfirmed electors
26
Existing
unconfirmed
electors
• Will still be able to vote at the UK
Parliamentary general election [and May
2015 local elections], but if they haven’t
re-registered under the new system, they
will lose any postal or proxy vote they
may have on [insert register
publication date].
27
Key messages
when delivering
the first ITR
28
Key messages
when delivering
ITRs during the
reminder stage,
speaking to
non-responders
29
Example application form
30
Information
required
Name
• Make sure that you are speaking to the
individual named on the form (if pre-printed)
and that any pre-printed name is correct;
applicant to make any changes where
necessary
Address
• Applicant to check the pre-printed address
is accurate and make corrections where
necessary
• The applicant should also indicate
whether they live at another address
31
Information
required
Change of name / recently moved
• To be completed if they have changed
their name or address in the last 12 months
Other personal information
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• National Insurance number
• Potential elector to give reasons if they
don’t know one or more of these
Contact details
• Not required, but extremely useful in case
we need to contact individual about their
registration
32
Information
required
Other information
• Whether they want to be included in the
open register
• Whether they wish to apply for a postal or
proxy vote
Declaration
• The form must include a declaration of
truth made by the applicant.
33
Using tablets / • [To be included if you are providing
smartphones to canvassers with electronic equipment to
complete and submit applications directly
collect
via the https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
identifiers and
website - to cover, for example: How
submit an
should the equipment be operated? How
application
to log in and keep passwords secure?
What are your policies on canvassers
using the equipment for other purposes?]
34
• Give a blank form and encourage
If you identify a
the person to apply, explaining the
new potential
various methods for registering
elector not on
available.
your list
• If not collecting the completed
application on the doorstep, make a
note of the date the potential new
elector has been identified so this
information can be provided to the
office.
35
Health and safety
36
Lone working
• We have a responsibility for your
safety
• Assess risks when visiting locations
• Let someone know where you are
going and what time you expect to
be home
• Take mobile phone
37
Minimising
risk
• NEVER go into anyone’s house –
make a note if someone needs
assistance and let us know
• Take care when carrying and lifting
large quantities of forms
• Walk away from verbal abuse or
aggression
• Beware of dogs and other animals
• Keep iPads and other valuables
secure
• Report any incidents to your Ward
Supervisor / the office
38
Data protection
39
Security of
personal
information
• Responsible for forms and personal
information in your care
• Personal data must be kept safe from
unauthorised access, accidental loss
or destruction.
• Instances of unauthorised access, loss
or destruction must be immediately
communicated to your supervisor.
40
Security of
personal
information
• [Cover local security measures, e.g. use
of lockable cases / satchels for carrying
forms – don’t carry more forms than you
can fit into the secure case/satchel, etc.].
• [Completed forms must be delivered to
the office by X, within X hours/days].
• [If providing canvassers with a
smartphone or tablet to access
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote: the
application must be submitted directly and
not stored on the device]
41
Collecting
personal data
on the
doorstep
• Always wear and show your official
identification to the elector
• Be aware of other people around you and
take precautions so that nobody else can
overhear any personal information you
are collecting
42
Collecting
personal
data on the
doorstep
• When collecting information on a HEF,
make sure you are speaking to a
member of the household (or landlord)
• When collecting information on an ITR,
make sure you are speaking to the
relevant individual
– Not there? Do not share personal
information, even with spouses or
family members
43
Putting it into practice
44
Contacts
45
Out of hours
contacts
• Between xpm and xpm on weekdays and
xam and xpm Saturday/Sunday there will
be a contact number available for queries.
[01234 567890]
• This number will be staffed by office staff;
we advise that you restrict your working
hours to match these
• Members of the public can also call this
number to check that you are working on
behalf of the ERO
46
Area
supervisors
• Please note your area supervisor
– Canvass area 1-4
• Contact John Smith 01234 567891
– Canvass area 5-8
• Contact Jack Brown 01234 567892
– Canvass area 9-13
• Contact Jane Black 01234 567893
• These people are your first contact in
case of query and they be will contacting
you during the canvass period to check
your progress
47
Questions ?
48