Nearly 800,000 names axed from voter register – but what does it mean?
A ballot box. The Electoral Commission says it is likely that some of the people affected are still eligible to remain registered to vote [Image: Rui Vieira/PA].
Or is this a sign of voter apathy?
Or are the Tories right, and the only names removed from the electoral register are those that are no longer valid or were being used fraudulently?
And how can we tell?
Almost 800,000 potential voters were deleted from the electoral register under government changes to the system, official figures have confirmed.
The Electoral Commission said about 770,000 names were removed from the register as the government introduced the requirement that people sign up as individuals rather than as households.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the overall register in December 2015 had shrunk by 600,000 names in the preceding 12 months, suggesting a voter registration drive over the same period was successful in getting people to sign up.
But Labour said the huge number of deletions meant hundreds of thousands of people were at risk of disenfranchisement, highlighting a particular problem in university towns and among younger people who are almost eligible to vote.
Overall, the electoral register is smaller by 1.6 million names than at its peak in 2012 when 46.4 million people were on the list.
Source: Nearly 800,000 names axed from voter register, official figures show | Politics | The Guardian
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
We need an alternative register of dissent from the anti-democratic party system. We’re all as good as disenfranchised: party cliques have it all sewn up.
Whatever the answer is, the facts must be established if possible. Another fact finding mission is required if only to settle any argument of Tory vote rigging.
Don’t worry they’re only benefit claimants!
As for voter apathy? Just when was the last time over 30% of those eligible bothered to vote anyway?
And again justifiably – been proven decade after decade doesn’t matter who’s in; they all ignore election promises and mandates and nothing ever changes!
They’ve all got their hands in our pockets and that is where they will remain!
Maybe they are benefit claimants – that would certainly be cause for worry, if the Tories are creating an underclass of people on benefits who have lost their right to democratic representation!
Just because people don’t bother to vote, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to, of course.
As for the election promises – are you sure? Cameron is determined his Tories have honoured many of their promises already.
The 800000 being the disappeared out of the benefits system, not on any benefit or in work crossed my mind as well Mike.
That’s just because it’s the same number. There’s no reason to believe it’s the same people, though.
I don’t know where you live David but in Scotland we had a 71.1% turnout for the 2015 GE.
Just because some people don’t vote doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of interest in democracy. It may well be that they don’t like what the parties standing for election have to offer.
given the history of this government,i’d prefer to believe that its some dirty,underhanded,
snide Tory manipulation.