Voter registration in Hackney is amongst the lowest in London
Polling station. Photograph: Martin Deutsch
Some of the wards with the lowest voter registration in London are in Hackney, raising concerns about the borough’s readiness for the upcoming European Union referendum on 23 June.
Only an estimated 67 per cent of the eligible residents of Hoxton ward are included on the voter roll.
The figure for Haggerston is 68 per cent, New River 71 per cent and Brownswood 75 per cent.
Research by London First and Democracy Club has shown that in seven Hackney wards, fewer than 80 per cent of those eligible to vote are in fact on the electoral roll. The UK average is estimated by the Electoral Commission to be approximately 85 per cent.
Electoral registration is mandatory in the UK for those eligible. Those who fail to register can be charged a fine of £80.
Under the new system of Individual Electoral Registration introduced last year, it is up to each resident to ensure they are properly registered to vote.
Hackney wards in which fewer than 80 per cent of people are registered to vote. Copyright: Hackney Citizen
The deadline for people to register to vote in the European Union referendum is 7 June.
UK citizens are eligible to vote in the referendum, as are resident Irish and the citizens of Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
To check your registration details, obtain a postal ballot, or find out where your polling station is, contact: electoralservices@hackney.gov.uk, tel.: 020 8356 3232, Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, E8 1DY.
Alternatively, visit www.hackney.gov.uk/elections or www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
The ‘concern’ at low level of voter registration must be accompanied by and put in the context of what the VOTE-SEEKERS and the VOTE-BAGGERS and the VOTED-In DO AFTER the Votes!
Hardly surprising bearing in mind that New River & Hoxton wards were abolished some 3 years ago,
On a more serious note I am not at all surprised why registration is so low. In the past if you would visit houses in multiple occupation or visit the housing estates and you will find that the people on the voters roll either don’t exist, are just on the system to fraudulently claim benefits or have moved away years ago, What the new system has ensured is that those on the voting list is a more accurate reflection of the actual eligible voters. The problem in Hackney is that there is a huge transient population.
It might be that every time there is an election the town hall messes one way or the other.It happened with the mayoral vote.