Councillors urge residents to check if they are registered to vote

Residents urged to check if they are registered to vote

Heywood and Middleton Labour councillors were out on the doorsteps at the weekend to urge local residents to check if they are registered to vote.

The government recently changed the requirements to vote, which means that up to 1.9 million people could have dropped off the electoral register, with many people not knowing that they have done so, until making an attempt to vote.

North Middleton Councillor Chris Furlong said: “All three North Middleton Labour councillors were out in force at the weekend in our parliamentary constituency, with other councillors urging residents to register to vote. The changes mean that you must now sign up as an individual and not as a household, which has always been done in the past.

“It is estimated that there are now only 25% of 17-year-olds on the electoral register and it is the younger generation that will not realise that they have fallen off the electoral register.”

Residents can check if they are on the electoral register by checking on the government or Rochdale Council website, as well as phoning the council.

If you do not register than you will lose your right to vote in the local, EU and, General Elections and the EU referendum.