50,000 people registered to vote in last 13 weeks

ALMOST 50,000 people have signed up to vote in the past 13 weeks, one-third more than before the 2007 general election.

The significant rise in numbers on the supplementary register brings the total electorate close to 3,210,000, although a precise figure cannot be confirmed. This is because an unknown number of the 48,963 on the supplementary register for the 43 constituencies may already have been on the official register, in place since last November, but have changed address.

The holding of the election on a Friday could also be a factor following pushes by student unions to get college-goers to register.