New statistics have shown that the number of people registered to vote in Perth and Kinross has grown for a third straight year and is approaching the high water mark achieved before the 2014 referendum.
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP, Liz Smith, believes that this is good news for local democracy and has welcomed the figures.
In March 2014, there were 115,030 people registered to vote in Perth and Kinross, and after dropping in the intervening years it now stands at 114,936, the second highest total since 2007.
The increase in those registering to vote was mirrored across Scotland where the number of registered Local Government and Scottish Parliament electors rose by 31,700 (0.8%) to 4.12 million.
Commenting Liz Smith MSP said:
“More people are engaging with politics and this borne out in these figures which show almost record levels of voter registration in Perth and Kinross.
“Politics has never been as exciting or changeable as it is today and that is reflected in the number of people registering to vote.
“In addition to the high registration numbers the percentage of people turning out to vote in Perth and Kinross is amongst the highest in the country.
“Ultimately, increased voter engagement is good news and I hope that this trend is replicated in next year’s statistics.”