1 in 6 not registered to vote in South West

The Electoral Commission estimates that 16% of people are not registered to vote in the South West, as Plymouth and Exeter get set to go to the polls on 3 May.

The Commission’s brand new campaign “Got 5?” is encouraging people across the South West to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote before the 17 April deadline if they have local elections in their area.

It’s estimated between 540,000 and 689,000 aren’t registered to vote in the region.

The campaign is particularly targeted at people under 34, recent home movers and private renters who are less likely to be registered, and highlights that you can quickly register in five minutes while waiting for the kettle to boil or running a bath.

Adrian Green, Electoral Commission Regional Manager for the South West, said: “With 5 local authorities in the South West holding local elections in May it’s vital that people in these areas register to vote before the 17 April deadline.

“We’re keen to see people using the time that may otherwise be wasted, like waiting for a bus, to go online and complete a form in less than five minutes. It’s quick, simple and really important.”

People can find out if they have elections in their area on the Commission’s Your Vote Matters website here. Local government elections select councillors, who are responsible for making decisions on running services in your local area.

To vote in local council elections a person must be registered to vote, 18 years or over on polling day and also be one of the following:

A British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the European Union
Resident in the UK
Not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
If you were eligible to vote in last year’s general election and your details have not changed, you will still be registered to vote.

More information on voting in the local elections can be found here.