PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
IMPACT OF INDIVIDUAL ELECTORAL REGISTRATION (13 September 2011)

That this House recognises that currently there are between 3.5 to 6.5 million electors missing off the UK electoral register, that individual registration proposed by the Government is the biggest change on electoral matters since the introduction of the universal franchise and that proposed changes include the removal of the duty of the individual to return their electoral registration form and the subsequent liability to a fine of 1,000 and prosecution; notes that, according to the Electoral Commission, if these proposed changes are not implemented properly there could possibly over time be a reduction in registration rates from 92 per cent. to 60 per cent., that this would leave potentially 18 million unregistered voters, that this would have an impact on other civic functions including the ability of a political party to communicate with the electorate, the ability for an individual to gain credit and the ability of the jury system to function properly; further notes that the profile of the unregistered is that they live in social and rented housing, many are from black and ethnic minority communities and that they are young, many are already the most marginalised in society and will be further politically marginalised by deregistration; and calls on the Government to reconsider its current proposals that will lead to large scale deregistration.

Sponsored by:
Chris Ruane (Labour)