The deadline for registering to vote in the general election in May is almost upon us. It’s simple — if you’re not registered by Monday 20 April, you won’t be able to vote.
No vote, no say.
In the last general election, only 44% of 18-24-year-olds voted — so it’s of particular importance this time round that more young people are registered to have their say. Contrast the number of youth voters in 2010 to the 76% of 65+-year-olds who voted, and it’s clear that youth participation in this year’s election could drastically tip the balance.
Encouragingly, a YouGov poll commissioned by the British Youth Council in February revealed that 71% of 18-24-year-olds say that they’re registered to vote for the election in May. The same poll revealed that as many as 2 out of 3 young people are undecided about which candidate or party they would vote for. Of those who revealed their voting intentions in the poll, 36% unsurprisingly sided with Labour (more than any other party).
For those who haven’t registered yet though, make sure to take five minutes out of your day, grab your National Insurance number, and head on over the registration page: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
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