Research shows 400k eligible voters in Wales won’t have their voice heard in EU elections

Best for Britain yesterday (1st May) launched a national campaign to encourage 7.9 million people who are eligible to vote in the upcoming EU elections but are not currently on the electoral roll to register before the deadline of midnight on Tuesday 7th May.

Exclusive research commissioned by Best for Britain and undertaken by Number Cruncher Politics shows that 400,000 people in Wales eligible to vote in the European elections scheduled for Thursday 23rd May will not have their voice heard. Across the whole of the UK, that number is 7.9 million.

This analysis calculates the number of people eligible to vote in this May’s elections for every region in the UK, based on the population aged 18 or over and nationality data. This can be compared to estimates of what proportion of the population are registered to vote in every region, based on the number of people on the electoral register and research from the Electoral Commission on the accuracy of the electoral register (e.g. What proportion of people are incorrectly registered in both their current address and their previous address).

Every region has hundreds of thousands of people missing. Figures are particularly large among EU citizens, private renters and young people.

That’s why Best for Britain are today launching a new tool at getvoting.org which will help users register to vote and obtain a postal vote. It will also remind users of various electoral deadlines and to get out to vote on polling day.

Commenting, Interim CEO of Best for Britain Naomi Smith said:

“The numbers we’re seeing for people who aren’t yet registered to vote are staggering.

“These people have a big part to play in the future direction of our country, and we will do everything in our power to ensure their voice is heard on polling day with everyone else’s.

“That’s why we’re launching this vital tool that will make registering to vote or getting a postal vote much easier, and reminding people when they need to get registered.

“This is a big moment for the country, and every voter should be counted.”

Best for Britain supporter Jo Stevens MP said:

“It’s really concerning that huge swathes of people across the country who have the right to vote in the European elections this May, aren’t currently registered.

“This analysis shows 400,000 people in Wales could be at risk of losing the right to have their voice heard at such a crucial juncture for the country’s future, with young people, private renters and EU citizens some of the groups most at risk of missing out. That needs to change.

“Whether you voted leave or remain, your voice needs to be heard. Get out and get registered.”

Matt Singh of Number Cruncher Politics, who undertook the analysis, added: 

“Because electoral registers contain many inaccuracies, far fewer people are registered to vote than it might appear from their size.

“This, in turn, means that millions of those eligible to vote are not registered to do so. This group differs from the eligible population as a whole – notably being younger, and likelier to be private renters – than the average.”