Concern as voters fall off register
EVIDENCE of significant slumps in the number of people properly registered to vote has fuelled warnings from a watchdog over UK Government reform plans.
Research carried out by the Electoral Commission found at least six million potential voters were missing from rolls in December 2010 – more than 50 per cent higher than a decade before.
The study – funded by the Cabinet Office – also suggested that number had leapt to 8.5 million by April as people “fell off” the register because of factors such as moving home.
That represents 17.7 per cent of the eligible electorate.
The UK Government plans to switch to a system of individual electoral registration (IER) for the 2015 general election.
Jenny Watson, chairwoman of the Electoral Commission, said: “It will be important to have an annual canvass in early 2014 to make sure that the transition from household to individual electoral registration takes place from the best possible base.”
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There are 4 comments to this article
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well informed
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 05:15 PMwhat do they expect when the fascist Govt uses the election polls to help them cut folks benefits?
Heinz Doofensmirtz
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 02:14 PMcouncil tax dodgers!
samcoldstream
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 09:36 AMOnly 65.1 percent of registered voters bothered turning out at the 2010 General Election, which has been the average percentage trend since 1979. (Source: UK Parliament website)
Arthur G
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 01:49 AMThat'll be all those dead Labour voters and the ones in the care homes who vote Labour despite not knowing where and who they are, or maybe it's the \labour voters so disillusioned with being treated as dumb voting fodder for decades finally giving up the ghost....
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