Scottish voters are posted missing

TENS OF thousands of people across Tayside, Fife and the Forth Valley risk missing out on the chance to vote in the crucial independence referendum.

Yes campaigners launched an appeal to encourage Scotland’s “missing million” unregistered voters to make sure they are on the electoral register in time to cast their vote on September 18 and help shape Scotland’s future.

Their appeal was launched on the UK’s first ever National Voter Registration Day, which is aimed at encouraging 250,000 new voters to sign up to the register.

Bite the Ballot ran the event with support from organisations such as the National Union of Students.

But despite being given a “once-in-alifetime opportunity” to settle the question of Scotland’s sovereignty, there are still tens of thousands of unregistered voters in Courier Country who risk not being able to have their say in what will be the most important day in Scotland’s history for more than three centuries.

In Fife there are around 290,000 people on the electoral register but another 20,000 have so far failed to return their annual canvass form.

In Angus there were 87, 459 people on the voters’ roll last month, even though the adult population stood at 96,232 in 2012.

Clackmannanshire has 36,815 voters on the electoral register compared to its adult population of 42,114.

Stirling, which has a population of 75,097, has 64,294 people on the electoral register.

Perth and Kinross has a population of 122,768 but the electoral register is being compiled and up-to-date figures are not available.

MORE THAN half of Scots expect to pay more tax if Scotland becomes independent, a new poll has found.

The Panelbase survey also found that less than half think a currency union with the rest of the UK is the most likely outcome in the event of aYes vote.

The poll, conducted for The SundayTimes and Real Radio Scotland questioned more than 1,000 people between January 29 and February 7.

It found that support for independence stands at 37%, with support for the union at 49%, while the remaining 14% are undecided.

When those polled were questioned about taxation, 51% said they expected to pay more in personal tax to fund public services under independence, while just over 32% said they expected to pay less, and 17% did not know.

On currency, 41% of people believe keeping sterling in a for mal currency union will be the outcome under independence, 15% believe Scotland will continue using the pound with no formal currency union, and 8% believe a separate Scottish currency will be set up.

A further 7% said Scotland will join the Euro as soon as it is feasible, and 19% said they did not have enough information to make a judgment.

Ivor Knox of Panelbase, said: “There’s something of a disconnect on tax which may prove influential.

“While there appears to be a general belief that independence would lead to tax rises, fewer than one in five voters actually supports increasing taxes to better fund services, and a mere 6% feel that people on their own level of income ought to be paying more tax as a general principle.”