One million applied to register to vote since new government system launched

Having previously written about online electoral registration being on the way, and then about online electoral registration being launched, it seems only fitting to add that it’s turning out rather successful so far:

Over one million people have applied to register to vote since the new online voter registration system went live in June, and there is over 90% satisfaction with the new online service…

The launch formed part of the move to Individual Electoral Registration (IER) which has replaced the outdated ‘head of household’ system and is giving people greater control and ownership over their registration. It’s one of the biggest changes to electoral registration in generations, and thanks to the new online tool, you can register in just 3 minutes by simply providing a name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number.

Statistics show that this new online system is proving to be a huge success. There have been over 1 million applications to register since 10 June and the vast majority of these were made using the new online service. Users are impressed by the simpler, clearer, and faster online process, with over 90% of those responding giving positive feedback.

The online registration service is compatible with all platforms, including smartphones and tablets, meaning maximum convenience when registering. Statistics show that around a third of people have accessed the service through a smartphone or tablet.

Online voting is a flawed approach (for the reasons set out here) but this is an excellent move forward.

You can register online here or find out more about the whole electoral registration process here.