Drive to register voters in North gets under way

The last annual voter registration drive will today get under way in Northern Ireland, with over two million electoral forms …

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

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 that will ensure that voters in future only have to reregister if their personal details change.

Under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which was passed in July, Northern Ireland'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.

READ MORE

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

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

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.