Epping Forest District Council is urging people to make sure their voting details are correct in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.

Around 3,300 households have not responded to the council's first annual canvass letter ensuring the electoral register is up to date.

The council is this week sending out another yellow form in the post, addressed to ‘the Residents’, and containing instructions.

Anyone whose name is not on the register will not be able to vote. They may also find it difficult getting a mortgage, bank loan or even a mobile phone contract.

As the May 2020 local elections were cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown, registering now means people registered be able to vote in May 2021.

The council has a legal duty to carry out an annual canvass to check the electoral register is correct and up to date.

Even if the information on the yellow form is correct, householders must confirm the details by following the instructions on the form.

If the information is incorrect or needs updating, residents must follow the instructions on the form.

If residents receive a white form, they do not need to correct it if the information is correct.

If it is incorrect, they must update it by following the instructions on the form.

Council offices are still closed to the public, updates can be made online or by telephone.

To confirm or update details by telephone call 0800 197 9871 or text: ‘NO CHANGE’ to 80212.

To do this online, visit www.householdresponse.com/eppingforest

The deadline for responses is Tuesday, September 29.

New legislation allows national and local data matching steps to be carried out before the canvass starts to make it more efficient and reduce costs.

Names and addresses already on the Epping Forest District Council electoral register will be compared with information held by the Department for Work and Pensions and local authority databases.

Data matching is fully automated, so the council only know the outcome, not how the result is achieved.

Anyone with queries should contact the Electoral Services Team on 01992 564411 or email elections@eppingforestdc.gov.uk.