ONE in ten people in Southampton risk missing out on their chance to vote in the forthcoming general and Local elections, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Official figures show that, with both elections widely expected to take place on May 6, roughly nine per cent of adults eligible to vote in the city have not yet registered.

Today, with just over five weeks before the registration deadline, the man in charge of organising this year’s ballots urges Daily Echo readers who have not yet secured their vote to get in touch with Southampton City Council and do so.

Mark Heath, the city’s electoral registration and returning officer, said: “I would urge all our residents to register to vote in the general and local elections. This is the chance for our residents to make a real difference in their communities, by voting on the issues which will affect them.”

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, 191,700 residents in Southampton, aged 18 and older, are eligible to register. However, the City Council says only 174,078 people within the city’s boundaries have so far done so.

It means as many as 17,000 adults may still not have registered.

Mr Heath added: “In Southampton we want as many of our residents to vote as possible. However, people must remember that if they are not already registered to vote then they need to do this before April 20. There could be thousands of people in Southampton who are not registered to vote and I want those people to make sure they don’t lose their right to have their say.”

The overall number of people on the register disguises the number of those who are joining and leaving it, or moving in and out of the city. Since December, 996 people have joined the register in Southampton but 970 have left it, the council said.

Boosting registration is driven by efforts to increase voting at the election. Turnout has become a growing concern among officials and politicians, as more people become disillusioned by the parties, or apathetic about taking part.

At the 2005 general election, just 57.5 per cent of people voted in Southampton Test and 55 per cent in South-ampton Itchen. Both were lower than the UK average of 61.4 per cent.

Local elections – when one third of Southampton City Council seats will be up for grabs –- is fixed for May 6. The general election is widely expected to be held on the same day to maximise turnout.