EVERY home in the borough will be receiving guidance on how registering to vote is changing.

The new ‘individual electoral registration’ which was introduced in June means 10,000 people in Thurrock may have to take action to sign up to the new register.

Councillor Victoria Holloway called it the biggest change in the voter registration system for a century and called on residents to look out for letters from the council between now and August 10.

She said: “Previously, one person in each household was responsible for registering everyone who lived at an address, but now everybody is responsible for their own name.

“This means that, for the first time, people are now able to actually register online.

“To do so, you will need to provide a few more details, including your National Insurance number and date of birth.

“This will help make voting more secure.”

Most people who are already registered will have been automatically transferred to the new list but some will need to re-register.

Voters are encouraged to check their status as soon as possible due to the local and general elections being only seven months away.

For more information and check your status on the new register visit www.gov.uk/yourvotematters