Electoral Reform Society: Sleepwalking towards catastrophe

Friday, 4 November 2011 9:54 AM

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, comments on voter registration:

"This report is welcome reading for anyone interested in our democracy. Westminster was sleepwalking towards a catastrophic drop in voter registration. We’re pleased politicians have finally woken up to the problem. These missing millions are avoidable, and the government must now take heed.”

“The committee is right to support maintaining the annual canvass and the threat of penalty. The government's proposals mean councils would have no carrot, no stick and no opportunity to target hard to reach citizens. If we want a complete and accurate register, then officials need the tools to get the job done.

"The government was making it possible for citizens to 'opt out' from democracy. Being on the register is not just about rights, it’s about responsibilities. It determines how public services are delivered, underpins the right to trial by jury of your peers, and sets how political boundaries are drawn."

“If the government listens we have the chance make voter registration work.”
 

Tags:
• electoral reform
,
• voter registration