Individual voter registration  

Here is the submission I sent to the Cabinet Office today outlining my views:Dear Sirs,  I write in response to your consultation on individual voter registration. Whilst I support the move in principle – and as a former Government Minister took part in discussions in relation to its implementation, I believe that the proposal to bring forward the introduction is unwise and will in my opinion result in a substantial drop in registration levels. The new idea of allowing a “opt out” is absolutely unacceptable and will particularly disadvantage constituencies such as my own which suffer from multiple problems of social deprivation, transient residents and a significant ethnic minority population. I have had the opportunity at first hand to examine the current voter registration system operating in Northern Ireland and it is clear that a very substantial amount of preparation work and...