Andersonstown News
(March 29 2004)
Vote decline continues
With the deadline approaching for voters to ensure that their names are
included on the electoral register in time for this June’s European
election, a West Belfast community worker says the number of people
registered to vote is continuing to decline.
Steven Corr, recently appointed as Political Affairs Co-ordinator with Falls
Community Council, said: “Tens of thousands of people were disenfranchised
through de-registration at the last election on account of this Act being
flawed in its design and flawed in its practice.
“And the fact is that even if a person voted in November 2003 they do not
necessarily have a vote in the June 2004 elections.
“This is a completely ludicrous situation,” said Mr Corr.
Figures obtained by Falls Community Council indicate that the number of
voters registered throughout West Belfast declined dramatically by 3,690
between September 2003 and February 2004 – a drop of 7.25 per cent.
And the figures go on to detail that the registered electorate for West
Belfast has declined from 59,617 at the Westminster elections in 2001 to
47,183 in February 2004.
“These figures prove a consistent and outrageous decline in the number of
people registered to vote within West Belfast, and this pattern is reflected
across the North.
“According to a report for the Electoral Commission in May 2003 by Millward
Brown Ulster, the main reason for non-registration is non-receipt of form,
which points to a simple question.
“The Electoral Office must take full and proper responsibility for the
deregistration and consequent disenfranchisement of thousands of people from
the democratic process.”
Journalist:: Staff Reporter