SIR – In the final hours before the voter registration deadline, the gov.uk registration site crashed. Many people who wanted to register because they were inspired by the #TurnUp campaign or TV debates – or who were simply planning to register late – came close to being locked out of the EU referendum. Many of these were young people planning to vote for the first time.
The root causes of the problem are clear. Britain’s electoral registers were missing millions of people. In 2014, there were 7.5 million missing voters. Since then, the register has contracted even further. In the heat of an impassioned debate about the future of Britain, the demand from soon-to- be-registered voters overwhelmed the Government’s technical infrastructure.
This situation was entirely avoidable. Earlier this year, a report on the “Missing Millions” from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democratic Participation presented tried and tested solutions to keep the register up-to-date all year round. In many democracies around the world, automatic registration is used to avoid a last-minute administrative problem This is a solution that must now be given proper consideration in the United Kingdom.
The “Missing Millions” recommendations must now be implemented without delay. We call on the Cabinet Office and Electoral Commission to lead this change.
Dr Toby James (University of East Anglia)
Oliver Sidorczuk (Bite The Ballot)
Owen Thompson MP (SNP Co-Chair, APPG)
Lord Rennard (Lib Dem Co-Chair, APPG)
Caroline Lucas MP (Green Co-Chair, APPG)
Sir Peter Bottomley MP (Conservative Member, APPG)
Grahame Morris MP (Labour Member, APPG)
Tim Farron MP (Lib Dem)
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP (SDLP)
Natalie Bennett
Gloria De Piero MP (Lab)
Clive Lewis MP (Lab)
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Lib Dem)
Graham Allen MP (Lab)
Margaret Hodge MP (Lab)
Lord Wallace of Tankerness (Lib Dem)
Barry Sheerman MP (Lab)
Lord Wills (Lab)
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Lab)
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green)
Lord German (Lib Dem)
Lord Prescott (Lab)
Baroness Brinton (Lib Dem)
Lord Tyler (Lib Dem)
Norman Lamb MP (Lib Dem)
Tommy Sheppard MP (SNP)
Baroness Andrews (Lab)
Nic Dakin MP (Lab)
Stephen Doughty MP (Lab)
David Lammy MP (Lab)
Margaret Ritchie MP (SDLP)
Lord Steel of Aikwood (Lib Dem)
Daniel Zeichner MP (Lab)
Madeleine Moon MP (Lab)
Tristram Hunt MP (Lab)
Kate Osamor MP (Lab)
Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill (Lab)
Helen Hayes MP (Lab)
Yasmin Qureshi MP (Lab)
Catherine West MP (Lab)
Paul Blomfield MP (Lab)
Geoffrey Robinson MP (Lab)
Jo Stevens MP (Lab)
Greg Mulholland MP (Lib Dem)
Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)
Baroness Tonge (Independent Lib Dem)
Lord Warner
Hannah Bardell MP (SNP)
Baroness Barker (Lib Dem)
Baroness Sheehan (Lib Dem)
Baroness Hamwee (Lib Dem)
Baroness Uddin
Lord Storey (Lib Dem)
Lord Cameron of Dillington
Banoness Kramer (Lib Dem)
Geraint Davies MP (Lab Co-op)
Baroness Goudie (Lab)
Rachael Maskell MP (Lab)
Lord Scriven (Lib Dem)
Lord Shipley (Lib Dem)
Lord Paddick (Lib Dem)
Baroness Ludford (Lib Dem)
Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (Lab)
Lord Stunell (Lib Dem)
Lord Foster of Bath (Lib Dem)
Baroness Crawley (Lab)
Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames (Lib Dem)
Julie Cooper MP (Lab)
Ruth Cadbury MP (Lab)
Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Lib Dem)
Baroness Quin (Lab)
Lord Dholakia (Lib Dem)
Lord Wrigglesworth (Lib Dem)
Baroness Walmsley (Lib Dem)
Ian Lucas MP (Lab)
Michelle Thomson MP (SNP)
John McNally MP (SNP)
Llŷr Huws Gruffydd AM (Plaid)
Jenny Rathbone AM (Lab Co-op)
Dr David Lloyd AM (Plaid)
Vikki Howells AM (Lab)
Lee Waters AM (Lab Co-op)
Julie James AM (Lab)
Hannah Blythyn AM (Lab)
Jane Hutt AM (Lab)
SIR – Can I ask the electoral authorities a favour?
I’ll be out for the day on June 23 on a pre-arranged trip with friends. Is there any chance that my polling station could stay open a couple of hours longer so that I can vote when I get home?
Dave Bassett
Liverpool
‘Cooled a long age’
SIR – Jancis Robinson suggests refrigerating left-over red wine. I store mine in a leak-proof container in the freezer, and top it up.
It makes a good base for hot punch during the winter.
June Davey
Tarrant Monkton, Dorset
