Councillor demands action to improve electoral registration

10.11.22am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 28th Aug 2007

You can get a form to register to vote by using the yellow button ' Register to Vote.'

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Bradford Council , has written to the Chief Executive asking what the Council is doing to increase the number of people who are on the Electoral Register.

She said,

" Liberal Democrat councillors have been conducting doorstep surveys over the summer and discovered many people who are not on the electoral register. It seems that people don't know that they can register at any time between January and August if they move house. They know they have to tell gas and electricity suppliers, banks and phone companies but they don't think about the remember to re-register to vote.

Others just forget to fill in the annual registration form when it comes through their door at this time of year.

And every time there is an election, we get inundated with requests to go on the register from people who are not registered but suddenly realise that they want to vote.

I am asking the Council what actions they will be taking this year to get as many people as possible on the Electoral Register. Clearly, what has been done in the past has missed a lot of people. We have sent forms to all the people we have found who are not on the register but it is the council's responsibility to make sure that it is up to date.

Anyone who fears they may not be registered can get the right form by clicking on the yellow button on this site called 'Register to Vote'.