More than 12,000 potential voters within the new Bridgwater Constituency – which includes Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge – are missing from the electoral register, a new study has found.
According to new research released this month by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), 12,088 eligible voters across Bridgwater, Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge and the surrounding areas not registered, the figure equivalent to more than 15% of the electorate in the constituency.
Across the UK, there are a huge 7.6 million eligible voters are estimated to be missing on the electoral register from across England and Wales.
Such a large number of missing potential voters, who as it stands will have no voice at the upcoming General Election, puts at threat the highly esteemed democratic processes in the UK, it is claimed.
Voter apathy and alienation has become widespread, with politicians now elected while a significant amount of the population is absent from the UK electoral roll.
Local Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Claire Sully, who is running in the new Bridgwater constituency which includs Burnham and Highbridge, says an election should be called immediately to enable the country to restore confidence in its ailing democracy, one of many issues prevalent to voters.
“These figures are hugely worrying but unfortunately they are reflective of the state of our democracy under Conservative rule,” Claire says.
She claims: “Britain is having its fundamental democratic principles eroded by a Conservative Party that desperately attempts to cling to power.”
“The Conservatives have eroded our democratic institutions and principles under the mantra of self-preservation. A General Election needs to be called now so that the country can elect better MPs and install a new government to clear up the mess of 14 years of Conservative rule.”
“I’m passionate that politics should be about representing people – not dictating to them. The Liberal Democrats offer a community-based approach that values the views of each individual and seeks to make our Country more democratic, not less.”
The Government’s new voter ID rules, which require all registered voters to have a form of photographic identification in order to vote, are likely to only exacerbate the stark rise in missing voters.
Voters are being encouraged to register if they have not already done so, by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
