In the light of today’s news that 3.5 million voters are missing from the electoral register, and in view of the forthcoming boundary changes based on the number of voters on the electoral roll as it stands next month, a timely email reminder today to Liberal Democrat members from Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes:
I’m sure you will agree that we as Liberal Democrats need to play our part in helping to ensure that everybody who should have the right to vote is in a position to exercise that right come next May.
Tomorrow we will be debating the third reading of the Parliamentary Voting Systems and Constituencies Bill. As part of that debate we will be renewing our commitment to ensuring that all those who are eligible to be registered to vote are.
And this is an important time of year to make that happen, as the annual canvass process is currently ongoing in council across the country. For most councils that process began over the summer and is set to finish on 1st December.
That means that there is now just under one month left until the conclusion of the canvass. So there is plenty of time for electors to return their household forms, or to engage with canvassers who may come knocking at their doors.
We are sure that everybody who is getting this email is registered to vote, but please do just check! Forms will be currently landing on doormats and resting on coffee tables up and down the country and it is vital that they are returned. Once you have made sure your form is safely completed please take a moment to check family and friends have filled out theirs too. Getting half a a dozen of your friends signed up to vote could make the difference in a tight election next May.
Making democracy work is something all politicians should be committed to, and we are proud to encourage Liberal Democrats to play our part.
Best wishes,
Nick Clegg MP and Simon Hughes MP
Leader and Deputy Leader of the Liberal DemocratsPS The next big national election will be the Fairer Votes referendum next May; you can join our campaign here.
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4 Comments
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/02/scrap-tory-bring-pr-voting
‘One of the devilish details is individual voter registration. The present system, of registration once a year by heads of households, is creaking and indefensible. Many families fail to return their forms; to avoid mass disenfranchisement, registration authorities tend to leave them on the register for a while.
But to move straight to individual registration risks moving straight to mass disenfranchisement of the young, the urban, the mobile and ethnic minority voters. The rot dates back to Margaret Thatcher’s disastrous decision to make the electoral register a source of the poll tax register. It is also a source of jury lists. In the late 1980s, millions of people looked at the costs and benefits of being on the register, and rationally decided to disappear. They are not yet back, nor are their sons and daughters.’
Unfortunately, Messrs Clegg and Hughes have forgotten about the differences in Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland. We do not have an annual canvass. It is a rolling canvass throughout the year. See more on my blog post here.
http://gyronny.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/nick-clegg-and-simon-hughes-get-the-drivel-checked-first/
Yes I am Nick and Simon – and in my local council seat where Labour doesn’t usually stand I shall in future be spoiling my ballot paper rather than voting LibDem against the Tories.
Nick and Simon
Given that there are 3.5m unregistered voters will their likley incidence be taken into account when it comes to equalising the size of constituencies – or will this only be done on the basis of registered voters? If the latter do you think it fair that areas with larger proportions of unregistered voters should in effect face lower levels of parlimentary representation?