Barnsley residents make sure that they keep their right to vote

The Electoral Register for 2009 is published today (Tuesday, 1 December). Once again a massive 92 percent of households in the borough responded to the electoral registration canvass to make sure that they do not lose their right to vote.

More Barnsley people made use of the internet and their mobile phones to register than ever before. A total of 12,500 households – or about 13.5% of all the households who responded to the canvass – registered in this way.

Nearly 3,000 registered by SMS message – up by nearly 700 households compared to 2008.

Some 4,088 households registered by telephone – up by 409 households compared to last year and 5,456 households registered over the Internet – or nearly a thousand more than in 2008.

Council officers are delighted that so many households chose to register electronically:

Borough Secretary, Andrew Frosdick, who is responsible for the electoral registration canvass and for organising elections, said: “We are very pleased with this really great response from the public. It means that a record number of people in Barnsley will now be able to vote in next year’s local elections and general election, which has to take place by 3 June.

“We are especially pleased that so many people made use of the new ways of registering. The right to vote is precious and it is important that people don’t lose it. That is why we have done our best to make it as convenient as possible for people to get their names down on the Electoral Register – by post, over the phone, text messaging and the Internet. The results speak for themselves. People are coming forward in record numbers. And that’s great news for them and great news for Barnsley.”

ENDS