Persons intending to stand as candidates in the House of Keys general election on September 22 this year have just over two weeks left to ensure that they are on the Island’s electoral register.

June 17 is the deadline for the next quarterly revision of the register, which provides an opportunity for those who are not already on the register to have their names added to it.

The revised register is effective from July 1 and anyone who is not included on the list at that stage will not be eligible for nomination as a Keys candidate on nomination day, August 24. Candidate’s proposers, seconders and assentors will also be required to be on the register.

The electoral register now contains more than 59,000 confirmed entries following its annual update earlier this year.

As of April 1 there were 59,097 names on the register – around 10,000 more than when the update process or ‘canvass’ began in January.

Electoral Registration Officer Della Fletcher commented: ‘An accurate electoral register is essential for the integrity of the democratic process, and to be fit for purpose it has to be updated on a regular basis to take account of people changing address.

‘Government does not centrally monitor the movements of individual citizens, so the only way to maintain an accurate electoral register at this time is to make the voter responsible for keeping their entry alive and up to date. That is why we have the annual canvass requiring every household to confirm details for the register.’

Mrs Fletcher added: ‘With 10,000 names added to the register since the start of the year, it is pleasing that there has been an increase in awareness of this issue and of the importance of making sure that you are registered to vote.’