A quarter of people in Northern Ireland not registered to vote, Electoral Commission says

One in four people in Northern Ireland are not registered to vote, the Electoral Commission said.

The body said 26% of all those eligible to vote in the region have not registered.

Research from the commission also indicates that young people and those who have recently moved house are most likely to be incorrectly registered.

The final deadline to register to vote before the December 12 General Election is next Tuesday.

Cahir Hughes, head of the Electoral Commission, Northern Ireland, has encouraged those not registered to vote to do so.

“As we get closer to the election, it is vital that everyone in Northern Ireland is able to have their say, and they must be registered by Tuesday (November 26),” he said.

“It only takes five minutes to register to vote online – time that you might otherwise spend waiting for the kettle to boil or for a bus to arrive. So if you want to make sure your voice is heard and you’re not already registered, go online and register now.”

A person can register to vote in December’s General Election if they are aged 18 or over on polling day and a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen resident in Northern Ireland.

Anyone wanting to vote must be registered by November 26.