The three candidates for Mayor of Hamilton have urged city residents to turn out to vote today amid concerns that just a fraction of those eligible have bothered to register.

Owners and occupiers of taxable premises within the corporation boundaries are allowed to participate in the election of the Mayor, who is in charge of a $20 million budget. Around 390 people are currently registered to vote. Speaking on the eve of the election, candidate Sonia Grant said that if she were elected, she would make it a priority to make sure that all the taxpayers eligible to vote are encouraged to register by the next poll.

"Quite frankly there are at least 250 that should be on the register. We decided after the 2003 election that something should be done but it's fallen by the wayside," she said. "It's merely a question of stuffing envelopes with registration forms ? we have a database of those who are eligible to vote. We have to accept that responsibility. As long as we have been there we have never gone out and tried to educate people on their rights. That's what I would be doing."

Fellow candidate Jay Bluck agreed. "If people don't vote, they get what they deserve." he said. "This is an important event in the democratic process. I would go to all the eligible voters and tell them to register as I think we only have about 50 percent at present. It's too late for this election but when registration re-opens I will see to it that those eligible are given a copy of the registration form."

However, while current mayor Lawson Mapp also has concerns over the issue, he feels that the onus is on the voters to register rather than the Corporation to chase them.

"We've sent forms out to people and if they don't fill them out and return them, it's not our fault," he said.

Returning Officer John Cooper said: "Only a small fraction of those eligible have applied. I've no idea of the exact percentage but it is well less than 50 percent."

He estimated that there could be more than 1,000 people who could have come along to City Hall to vote today, had they filled in their forms.

The poll, set to open at 11 a.m., runs until 8 p.m.