Hundreds of thousands of Scots voters missing from register for EU elections

More than half a million Scots may not be able to participate in the European elections because they haven’t registered to vote.

Despite two referendums, council elections, a Scottish Parliament election and a general election in the last five years, new research suggests an estimated 600,000 potential voters are missing from the electoral register.

The figure, from research by Number Cruncher Politics for the pro-european Union group Best for Britain, comes just weeks after the European Parliament stepped up its campaign to encourage people to go to the polls on 23 May. Turnout in European elections is traditionally far lower than in other UK elections, standing at just 33.4 per cent at the 2014 elections.

The campaign group believes that EU citizens, private renters and young people were most likely to be missing from the electoral roll.

Scottishlabourmpianmurray, a supporter of the group, said: “It’s really concerning that huge swathes of people across the country who have the right to vote in the European elections this May aren’t currently registered. That needs to change.

“Whether you voted Leave or Remain, your voice needs to be heard. Get out and get registered.”