Transcript Register of electors canvasser briefing session Introduction Add names of trainers Objectives of the training session • To outline your duties as a canvasser • To.

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
Overview of the canvass
4
Eligibility to
register
• Resident in [add registration area]
• Aged 16 or over (in Scotland: 14 or over)
And either:
• A British, Irish or European Union citizen,
or
• A Commonwealth citizen who has leave
to remain in the UK or who does not
require leave to remain
5
Electoral
registration
• Individual Electoral Registration (IER)
began in 2014
• Applicants can apply to register online
• by phone [if offered] / in person [if offered]
• All applicants must be ‘verified’ – their
National Insurance number and date of
birth are checked against official records
• [EROs in Scotland add: 14 and 15 yearolds will not be asked to provide a
National Insurance number. They will be
verified using education records or other
local data.]
6
The annual
canvass
• Legal requirement to conduct the
canvass and for households to respond.
• A Household Enquiry Form (HEF) must
be sent to every address
– No response = reminder form
– Still no response = visit by canvasser
– New potential electors cannot register via
a HEF
• Households must respond to the HEF,
even if residents have made a successful
application to register online.
7
The annual
canvass
• An Invitation to Register (ITR) must be
sent to any potential electors (including
those whose names are added to a HEF)
with a registration form.
• Additionally, in certain cases, we will also
be sending ITRs to electors who are on
the register but have yet to register under
the new system.
• Same reminder process as HEFs [in
Scotland add: except that personal visits
are not required if the person is 14 or 15
years old].
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Your role as canvasser
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Key canvasser
activities
Your role is important.
• [Delivery of forms and reminders]
• Visit households/individuals that have
not responded to a HEF or ITR to
encourage a response:
– 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 and mark your
canvass list accordingly
– record date and time of all visits
10
The Household Enquiry
Form (HEF)
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The HEF
• Purpose: In order to know who is eligible
to register to vote, we need to know who
lives at an address. The HEF is used to
collect this information.
• Two versions:
– Pre-Printed with the details of all electors
registered at the household
– Blank for properties with no electors
currently registered, and any new
properties you identify
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Example HEF – pre-printed
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Example HEF - blank
14
Online return
of the HEF
• [Insert screenshot if offered]
15
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?]
16
Key messages
when following
up with HEF
non-responders
It is important that this form is
completed and returned. In order to
know who is eligible to register to vote,
we need to know who lives at your
address. This form is to collect this
information.
Returning the information requested
is straightforward. I have a form which
I can help you complete now, or I can
come back later to pick it up. [add any
online response options]
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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.
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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’?
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Information
required
Other information
• 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.
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Information
required
16 and 17 year olds (in Scotland, 14 - 17
year olds)
• Always ask if there are any 16 or 17 yearolds living at the property (in Scotland 14 to
17 year-olds), and ensure they are included
on the form
21
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
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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
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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
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Invitations to register
and the individual
registration form
25
Who will
receive an
invitation to
register?
• Potential new electors – identified
through, for example, the HEF, your
personal visit or local data.
• Certain electors who are on the register,
but are not yet registered individually
under the new system.
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Example application form
27
Key messages
when delivering
the first ITR
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Key messages
when delivering
ITRs during the
reminder stage,
speaking to
non-responders
Registering to vote is
straightforward – it only takes a
few minutes, but you will need
your National Insurance Number.
(In Scotland, the requirement
does not apply to 14/15 yearolds.)
I have a form with me which I
can help you complete now, or
I can come back later to pick it
up.
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Information
required
Name
• Make sure that you are speaking to the
individual named on the form 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
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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
– Or reasons these cannot be provided
Contact details
• Not required, but very useful if we need to
make contact about their registration
31
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.
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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?]
33
• 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 their name and the date the
potential new elector has been
identified so this information can be
provided to the office.
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Health and safety
35
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
36
Minimising
risk
NEVER go into anyone’s house
• 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
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Data protection
38
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.
39
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]
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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
41
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
42
Putting it into practice
43
Contacts
44
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
45
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
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Questions ?
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