NI: New drive to register voters

The last annual voter registration drive will today get under way in the North, with over two million electoral forms arriving at homes across there.

The campaign will particularly focus on voters who have disengaged with politics in Northern Ireland, with the advertising message: “Secure Your Vote or Lose Your Vote.”

The annual electoral registration process is being replaced by new provisions which will ensure that voters in future only have to re-register if their personal details change.

Under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which was passed in July, the North’s new chief electoral officer Douglas Bain will be given the power to cross-reference data on the register with information held by other public bodies to ensure that voter information is up to date.

The annual registration process was unpopular with politicians, especially Sinn Féin’s vice president Pat Doherty who claimed it resulted in confusion among the electorate and also shredded 100,000 voters from the list.

Mr Bain today urged people to have their forms filled-in and ready for collection in their homes over the coming weeks.

“Northern Ireland is well-ahead of England and Scotland in having an electoral register that is both comprehensive and accurate and it’s important that we keep it that way,” he insisted.

“Even if individuals don’t intend to exercise their democratic right to vote, it still remains a legal obligation to register.

“I would ask everyone to take just a few minutes to complete the registration form to secure their vote.”

Canvassers will call at homes across the North before the end of the registration drive on November 13.

If no one is at home when they call, a prepaid envelope will be left so the forms can be returned by post.

The new register will be published in early December.

Electoral chiefs have also been alarmed at the fall in voter turn-out in Northern Ireland in recent elections.

Last year’s General Election recorded a drop of almost 12% on 2001’s figures, with the 12 largest decreases in voter turn-out in the UK occurring in Northern Ireland constituencies.

A total of 93,644 fewer people cast their votes in the election and over 20,000 ballot papers were also spoiled.

A lack of interest in politics was cited in a survey for the Electoral Commission as the main reason people didn’t vote.

Seamus Magee, the head of the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland, said it was essential that under-represented and disaffected groups such as young people, members of ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and the socially disadvantaged, were registered in the current drive.

“Given that a change in the law will make this the last canvas to be conducted in Northern Ireland for a number of years it is very important that it is as comprehensive as possible and we are urging all those eligible, especially those groups who research the shows are amongst the most disengaged from the electoral process, to register,” he said.

A special helpline and dedicated website has also been set up to guide people through the registration process.

Voters can seek advice by logging onto www.aboutmyvote.co.uk where they can download a copy of the registration form.