WIREDGOV

The Electoral Commission estimates that 18% of people are not registered to vote in Yorkshire and the Humber, as half the region gets set to go to the polls on 3May 2018.

The Commission’s brand new campaign “Got 5?” is encouraging people across Yorkshire and the Humber to register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote before the 17 April deadline if they have local elections in their area.

It’s estimated between 590,000 and 730,000 aren’t registered to vote in the region.

The campaign is particularly targeted at people under 34, recent home movers and private renters who are less likely to be registered, and highlights that you can quickly register in five minutes while waiting for the kettle to boil or running a bath.

Emma Hartley, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission said: “With 11 out of 21 local authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber holding local elections in May it’s vital that people in these areas register to vote before the 17 April deadline.

“We’re keen to see people using the time that may otherwise be wasted, like waiting for a bus, to go online and complete a form in five minutes. It’s quick, simple and really important.”

People can find out if they have elections in their area on the Commission’s Your Vote Matters website. Local government elections select councillors, who are responsible for making decisions on running services in your local area.

To vote in local council elections a person must be registered to vote, 18 years or over on polling day and also be one of the following:

• a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the European Union
• resident in the UK
• not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote

If you were eligible to vote in last year’s general election and your details have not changed, you will still be registered to vote.

More information on voting in the local elections can be found on the Your Vote Matters website.

For more information, contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704 or press@electoralcommission.org.uk

Out of office hours 07789 920414

Notes to editors

1. The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. It works to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
   • enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
   • regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
   • using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency

   The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK and Scottish Parliaments.

2. These estimates of people not registered to vote in the region are based on the December 2015 registers (both accuracy and completeness (A&C) estimates and electoral statistics from the ONS).

The December 2015 registers were the last ones assessed for accuracy and completeness by the Electoral Commission. Two high-turnout electoral events took place since the last A&C study, therefore levels of accuracy and completeness are likely to have changed (in our recent reports, we said completeness is likely to have improved since the last A&C study). Our A&C estimates are subject to confidence intervals.