Many young people not registered to vote - but there's still time

Young people aged 17 or 18 are being urged to register to vote in time for the General Election on 8th June.

New figures just released by the Electoral Reform Society show that the proportion of school leavers on the electoral roll dropped by over a quarter between 2013 and 2016 – with most of these missing voters now eligible to vote in this election. Shockingly, in one parliamentary constituency 75% of young people are not on the voting register. This follows the change from registration by household, to each voter having to register individually.

Claire Young, Liberal Democrat candidate for the Thornbury and Yate parliamentary consituency, said:

"This election is about the type of country we want to live in, a chance to change Britain's future. Young people will be living with the results for many years to come. It's vital that they get a say in that future"

"Whatever your age, if you haven't already registered, you need to do so before 11:59pm on 22 May if you want to be able to vote in the General Election on 8 June. You can do it online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote - you may need to have your National Insurance number at hand to prove who you are"

#RegAFriend today

If you're a young person who's registered to vote, why not encourage your friends to join you?

The Electoral Commission is working with the National Union of Students to encourage more young people to register, by sharing photos of their "voter cross" and using the hashtag #RegAFriend before 18th March.

To register to vote just visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to fill in the online form via desktop, mobile or tablet.

Anyone aged 16 and above can register but you can only vote once you reach the age of 18. This is a vital year to be registered to vote, with the EU Referendum on 23rd June. The decision made that day could affect everyone for decades to come.

Also on 5th May we will be voting for the new Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner.

You can find out more about the campaign here.

Don't lose your vote

By the end of this month, you should receive a letter from South Glos Council telling you if you need to take action to join the new Electoral Register.

Most people who are currently registered have been added to the new register automatically, and the letter will let you know if this applies to you. Some people have not been added to the new register automatically and these people will need to re-register. The letter will tell you if you are in this group, and what you need to do to re-register.

The letters are a result of a new registration system called Individual Electoral Registration (IER). The aim is to modernise the way people register to vote and help tackle electoral fraud. You may need to take action to join the new individual electoral register, even if you are currently registered to vote.

Under the new system:

• everyone is responsible for registering themselves (under the old system the ‘head of household’ could register everyone who lived at their address) 
• you can now register online 
• you need to provide a few more details to register (your national insurance number and date of birth). This is to make the electoral register more secure. These details are checked against government records to help make sure that registrations are genuine. 

If you're not on the electoral register, you won't be able to vote in next year's elections. You could also be at risk of an £80 fine if you don't respond to requests for information from the council and you need to be registered to apply for credit, as credit reference agencies use the register to prevent fraud.

If you are a South Gloucestershire resident and you haven’t received a registration letter by the end of August then please contact the electoral services team by calling 01454 863030 or by emailing electoral.services@southglos.gov.uk If you need to register or re-register please visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

National Voter Registration Day

Wednesday 5th February was the first ever National Voter Registration Day. The organisers, Bite the Ballot, are particularly encouraging young people to add their name to the electoral register. Although you must be 18 to vote, anyone aged 16 or above can register. Young people aged between 16 and 24 are currently the most under-represented age group on the electoral register.

As well as giving you a say in how you are governed, locally, nationally and at European level, being registered is important because it can help when applying for a student loan, opening a bank account, or buying a mobile phone – in fact anything to do with finance. Lenders use the electoral register to investigate potential borrowers, so once you are on the list credit reference agencies will be able to verify who you are.

Following a Lib Dem council motion, South Glos Council has been working with local schools on a special campaign to encourage young people to register for their vote. Since it started, the number of young people registered has increased. More information on how to register is available on the South Glos website.

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