Clegg to announce voter registration drive

London: Up to 3.5 million potential voters are to be targeted by the government as it seeks to ensure that the "missing millions" who fail to register are given a voice in elections, Nick Clegg was scheduled to announce yesterday.

In an attempt to reach out to critics, who say the government is gerrymandering parliamentary constituencies in favour of the coalition, the deputy prime minister was expected to unveil plans to increase voting in areas of high social deprivation.

Clegg was expected to say that from next year the government will attempt to locate missing voters by piloting a system of data-matching. This will allow local authorities to compare information on databases such as council tax records with the electoral register to identify missing voters.

"It is not good enough to simply ignore the millions who aren't registered, especially when you look more closely at where the problem is worst: among the young; among black and ethnic minority communities; in areas with high social deprivation. The coalition government is clear: these missing millions must be given back their voice. There is no magic wand solution; but, equally, there is no excuse for inaction," he was expected to say.

Electoral fraud

He was also likely to announce that the government would try to reduce electoral fraud by changing the law so that individuals will register to vote, unlike the current system in which a household's members are simply listed on the electoral register.

"People must have confidence in the system, and know that it is secure against fraud," Clegg will say of the proposals, which are to be included in a new political and constitutional reform Bill."