The right to vote is one of our fundamental rights and it's one of the most powerful tools we have to hold our politicians to account! 

Yet in areas like ours, it’s likely that over 12,000 eligible citizens will not be registered to vote. That's huge. And a denial of democracy. Nationally the number is around eight million people.

These voters are more likely to be young, on low incomes, or be part of an ethnic minority group. People in these groups often feel let down by our politics. And they often are.

It’s time to register every voter, automatically. The local systems are set up by central Government and could be amended to help ensure all voters are automatically registered, thereby improving our democracy and our elections.

All citizens should be automatically registered when they apply for things like a driver’s licence or benefits, and when they become 18. It’s a scheme used in dozens of countries called Automatic Voter Registration. 

It’s both secure and will save money. It gets more people registered to vote which is good for our democracy.

I hope Steve Brine our local MP and other local politicians will support the calls for Automatic Voter Registration made by Unlock Democracy and other campaign groups. Let’s do it!

Colin Smith,
St Cross Road,
Winchester

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