Deadline looms for registering to vote

With just weeks to go before the nation goes to the polls, Islington Council is urging people to make sure they are registered to vote.

Candidates for both Islington's constituencies - Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury - have now been confirmed and Islington residents will be casting their votes to decide which two MPs will represent the interests of the borough in Parliament for the next five years.

But the council is warning residents that unless they are registered to vote by Monday 20 April  they will not be able to take part.

The turnout for both the Islington South & Finsbury and the Islington North elections in 2010 was around 65 per cent, meaning around a third of people entitled to a vote in the borough did not have their say.

The council is hoping to get as many people to the polling stations around Islington on Thursday 7 May as possible.

Islington Council Chief Executive Lesley Seary said: “It’s really important to register to vote, because without a vote you can’t have your say on how the country is run. Unless you register to vote, your voice won’t be heard.

“Registering takes just a few minutes online – about the same time it takes to boil a kettle - and I would urge everyone to do so.”

To register to vote visit: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote