Opposition Day — Electoral Registration — Registration of Missing Eligible Voters — 4 Feb 2015 at 18:49

The majority of MPs voted against doing more to register eligible voters missing from the electoral roll such as block registering students and those in care homes.

The majority of MPs also voted against setting a target for reducing the number of "missing voters" and delaying fully implementing individual electoral registration until that target is met.

The motion rejected by the majority of MPs taking part in this vote stated:

• That this House
• recognises the importance of a complete and accurate electoral register to the health of our democracy;
• welcomes the fact that 1.8 million voters have registered using online registration, but notes that, according to the Electoral Commission, 7.5 million eligible voters are missing from the register;
• notes with concern that an estimated one million voters have left the register in the past year and that the shift to individual electoral registration could see millions more fall off the register;
• calls on the Government and the Electoral Commission to do more to tackle under-registration, including block-registering students in university or college accommodation and people living in adult sheltered accommodation and care homes, introducing a schools registration scheme, on the model of the Northern Ireland Schools Initiative, to boost registration in time for the General Election on 7 May 2015, and maximising the use of national and local data sets in securing a complete register; and
• further calls on the Government to set a clear goal to reduce the numbers of missing voters and to delay fully implementing individual electoral registration until this goal is met.

Debate in Parliament | Source |