Referendum Deadline Approaches

Scots have just one week left to register to vote on 18th September 2014.

There's just one week to go to register to vote in the Scottish independence referendum.

More than 50, 000 registration forms were downloaded from the Electoral Commission's website in the first ten days of the campaign.

Over 2.5 million copies of the Commission's impartial voting guide have been sent out during the first 10 days of the public awareness campaign.

Andy O'Neill, Head of Scotland Office at the Electoral Commission, said:

"There's a huge amount of interest in the referendum and that's reflected in the unprecedented response to the first ten days of our campaign. With just a week left to register to vote we're encouraging anyone who’s not already registered to download a form at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk or call our helpline on 0800 3 280 280 to request one as soon as possible."

The Electoral Commission's campaign has also included activities targeted at ensuring young people are aware of the registration deadline. The Commission launched a joint push with Facebook so that Scottish Facebook users who visited the site saw a post in their Newsfeed about its voting guide. The Commission has also been a part of the Scottish Youth Parliament's 'Ready, Steady Vote Week’.

As well as advertising directly to the public the Commission has partnered with a variety of organisations to target information at specific groups who are less likely to be registered to vote. This includes the National Union of Students, Shelter Scotland, and Young Scot. The Commission has also produced a range of resources, including factsheets, posters and e-mail banners, which can be downloaded free of charge and used by anyone who is also working to promote awareness of how to take part in the referendum.