Since the move to Individual Electoral Registration (IER), around 770,000 potential voters have dropped off the electoral register.

The new figures, published today by the Electoral Commission, show the electorate in Wales fell by 5%, England 3% and Scotland 2% following the changeover.

The Commission said it was ‘likely’ some of the removed entries related to electors that were eligible to remain registered for voting but it was not possible to estimate exact figures.

Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission, said: ‘The registers published on 1 December 2015 are a snapshot of the electorate at that time, and they indicate there has been a reduction in the number of entries since the last registers were published under the household system.

‘However, a lot more has been done since then to ensure as many people as possible know that they need to register to vote before the deadline, and how they go about doing so.’

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