Ministers are considering emergency plans to prevent up to a million voters being disenfranchised if a snap general election is called, The Times has learnt.

John Turner, head of the Assocation of Electoral Administrators, held a meeting with officials at the Ministry of Justice last night to discuss ways of ensuring that voters who are not on the December 2006 electoral roll could register in time.

In a further sign that an election may be imminent, the Electoral Commission is sending out pre-election advice to returning officers today.

The advice, which will cover the administration of elections, including statutory timetabling for nominations and postal voting, and anti-fraud measures, is normally sent out when a general election is called. It will also cover the new constituency boundary arrangements.

But a spokesman for the Electoral Commission said that, given the unusual circumstances, it had decided to put the advice out immediately. “It is our decision, but councils are now making contingency plans and we are helping them to do this,” a commission spokesman told The Times.

Ministers also published draft orders yesterday naming returning officers in all constituencies, including those with new boundaries. Formal orders are expected to be laid this week.

Returning officers voiced concerns over the weekend that up to a million voters would be unable to vote if there was an early poll because the 2007 electoral register will not be completed or come into force until December 1. Mr Turner urged officials to change the current rules that prohibit local authorities from transferring data on canvass returns straight on to a rolling electoral register.

If an election were called before December 1, the 2006 register would be used, potentially disenfranchising many of the 15 to 20 per cent of voters who have moved home. Many have not informed their local election office of their new address.

Under guidance issued by the Electoral Commission last month, local councils have to send out a further form to residents if their canvass returns show that they have moved house or they have turned 18.

Mr Turner told The Times that this would be almost impossible to do if an election were called in the next few weeks. Most councils are struggling with implementing new software that allows them to match personal identifiers with postal ballots.

David Monks, election spokesman for the Society of Local Authority chief executives, is also seeking an urgent meeting with ministers to discuss the electoral register and software complications.

During the local elections in May, returning officers faced large problems with delayed and malfunctioning software, which meant that many postal ballots had to be matched by hand.

This year, for the first time, all those who wanted to vote by post had to send in two personal identifiers on their application vote — their signature and date of birth — which have to match those on the postal ballot form. The new laws, introduced to stop electoral fraud, led to chaos during the local elections, which have smaller turnouts than general elections.

Both Mr Monks and Mr Turner have warned the Government that an election this year could prove to be a logistical nightmare. However the Electoral Commission claimed that Mr Turner’s fears were misplaced. “Returning officers are responsible for elections and while challenges exist, as they do in every election, we have every confidence in their ability to conduct efficient elections and that they will rise to the challenge,” a spokesman said.

“There is never much notice of a general election so the timetable of a potential autumn election would not pose anything particularly new.”

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