SCHOOLS are being urged to encourage pupils aged over 18 to register to vote in next month's assembly election.
Virginia McVea, the north's chief electoral officer, has written to schools to ask them to urge students to ensure they are on the electoral register ahead of polling day on May 5.
The deadline to register to vote in the forthcoming election is April 14.
While almost 1.4 million people are already registered to vote, Ms McVea told the BBC that she had contacted schools as "levels of registration for our young people in Northern Ireland is low".
She also said the electoral office was working with young people who were not in education or work to encourage them to register.
"Levels of registration for our young people in Northern Ireland is low and we are now tracking applications by school as a result of new data we can access," Ms McVea said.
"I hope that you can encourage our young people to engage and play their part in the democratic process, understanding that this is truly an overarching priority for this jurisdiction, indeed the world."
