Sinn Fein complains of annual registration requirement in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland's Electoral Office is carrying out an annual "shredding' of the province's voting register, Sinn Fein vice president Pat Doherty claimed tonight.
The West Tyrone MP attacked legislation brought in by the British Government in May 2002 which compelled voters in Northern Ireland to register each year, claiming it represented "the biggest gerrymander since partition."
Mr Doherty alleged: "This legislation is primarily aimed at trying to ring fence the electoral growth of Sinn Fein in the Six Counties (Northern Ireland)." --- Sinn Fein Accuses Government of 'Gerrymandering' (PA News, UK)
The effect of the annual registration requirement -- used in Northern Ireland, but nowhere else in the United Kingdom -- is shown in an official report discussed in this BBC news story from December of last year.
Measures to combat voting fraud in Northern Ireland have had a negative impact on young people and those in poorer areas, according to a report.
The study published on Tuesday was carried out by the Electoral Commission earlier this year, but its release was delayed until after the assembly election.
The need to register every year was brought in by the Electoral Fraud Act 2002.
In the past, one form was given to every household, but now everyone has to register individually.
The commission said this measure tended to have an adverse impact on disadvantaged, marginalised and hard to reach groups.
It meant young people, students, people with learning disabilities and those living in poorer areas were less likely to register, according to the government-appointed watchdog. -- Vote fraud measures criticised (BBC News)