Push to get 'missing million' registered to vote in time for referendum pays off

Record numbers of people are expected to vote in the Scottish independence referendum after it was revealed nearly 4.3 million people are registered ahead of the historic poll on 18 September.

A last minute push to get all potential voters registered has proven successful with the Chief Counting Officer for the Scottish Independence Referendum revealing it will be the largest election of any kind in Scotland.

Some 4,285,323 people have registered including 789,024 people who have applied for a postal vote.

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) joined forces with the STUC and the Daily Record for the Mission Million campaign to encourage the million people in Scotland who were unregistered to start using their vote.

John Downie, SCVO’s director of public affairs, said: “These figures show the push to get people registered has paid off.

“Whatever way the public votes, this referendum has gone against the grain and has captured the public’s imagination at a time when people are disillusioned with politics and politicians.

“That momentum has to continue to the polling station and we’d encourage everyone to exercise their democratic right, from first-time voters to those who aren’t party political, to turn out next Thursday to have their vote on Scotland’s future.”

These figures show the push to get people registered has paid off - John Downie

With one week to go until polling day, chief counting officer Mary Pitcaithly is encouraging voters to think carefully and plan ahead to make sure their vote is counted.

She said: “I want everyone’s vote to count, whether they are voting by post or in person at a polling place on 18 September. It’s vital that everyone takes great care when completing their ballot paper. Mistakes mean that a ballot paper may not be counted."

She added: “People who are voting at a polling place should think about what time they are going to vote. Polling places are busiest during the early morning and in the evening as people vote on their way to and from work.

"If you are able to avoid these times, I would encourage you to do so to ensure everyone can vote without having to queue for any length of time.”

Across Scotland, there will be 2,608 polling locations with a total of 5,579 polling stations.

In most areas, a maximum of 800 electors have been allocated to each polling station.

Voters can obtain more information about the referendum and how to vote at aboutmyvote.co.uk