Ulster Unionist peer, Lord Empey, has stated that the decision to close six local electoral offices is a risk not worth taking.
Lord Empey said:
“I have been warning for months about the erosion of the services provided by the Electoral Office in Northern Ireland. I have asked many Parliamentary Questions about the subject and have received unconvincing answers.
“The decision to close six offices throughout Northern Ireland is a mistake. There is no use complaining about lower voter turnout and registration while at the same time retreating to Belfast as the only centre where an office is located.
“In future all election candidates will have to travel to Belfast to nominate. This is plain wrong and against all forms of rural proofing and general outreach to potential voters.
“The decision to rely on electronic registration is flawed and ignores the fact that not all our community is IT literate.
“I am convinced that the ultimate plan is to try and hand over the responsibilities to Local Government to save the NIO money. This is a foolish and shortsighted mistake. The service provided by the Electoral Office is regarded as highly professional and independent. Bringing this service to local government, which is under the control of politicians, is a risk not worth taking.
“The decision by NIPSA to ballot its members on strike action is understandable. Whether it will have any impact on the Assembly Elections or the European Referendum remains to be seen, but this crisis has been in the making for some time and the government has been asleep at the wheel.''