NOBODY doubts that “too many have died to enable us to have the right to vote” (Daily Echo comment, Mar 21).

However, we should never blame voters if they choose to exercise their right to stay at home and abstain.

Nor is it for busy-bodies like the Electoral Commission and electoral returning officers to mount expensive campaigns to get people onto the electoral register.

Rather it is up to politicians and those who stand for election to enthuse voters and persuade them to vote, as evidenced by the huge turnout for the Scottish referendum.

Before you know it, officials on the public payroll will be agitating to make voting compulsory. This too, must be firmly resisted.

DOROTHY FUDGE, Totton.