BYM becomes Voter Registration Ambassador
‘Millions of missing voices.’ What the seven million people not on the electoral register represent, according to the Electoral Commission.
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has signed up to become a Voter Registration Ambassador. The commitment includes launching a new general election webpage to coincide with Voter Registration Week.
Grace Da Costa, BYM’s public affairs and media manager, told the Friend that the page includes information on how to register to vote, as well as being ‘a one-stop shop’ for information about the 2024 general election. ‘We’ll update it as we produce more materials,’ she said. ‘There will be a pack for Friends and Local Meetings, which will include a policy briefing, ideas for election activities, and advice on how to engage with your local candidates.’
BYM’s work on voter registration is part of its wider work on democracy, truth and integrity, said Grace. ‘We know that people from certain groups – such as disabled people and people from minority ethnic backgrounds – are less likely to vote due to a number of factors. This is compounded by new laws requiring people to take certain forms of ID to the polling station with them when voting in person.’
BYM is also encouraging Quaker Meetings to become Voter Registration Champions. These groups commit to encouraging their members to register and vote, as well as reaching out to other groups in their community ‘to try and widen their impact on participation’.
‘As many as seven million people are missing out on the opportunity to vote because they aren’t on the electoral register,’ said Craig Westwood, director of communications for the Electoral Commission, which launched a campaign this month, calling on all voters to register to vote by 16 April, in time for the local elections on 2 May. ‘That represents millions of missing voices.’
The campaign marks a shift from previous campaigns, which have emphasised how quick and easy registration is, to instead focus on ‘the feel-good factor of participating in democracy’.
The advert aims to appeal to many of the groups less likely to be registered, including young people, ethnic minorities, and disabled voters.
Last year the Conservative government introduced requirements for voter ID, claiming it was a necessary precaution against voter fraud. However, UK data last year showed no cases of impersonation.
The new rules required voters to show photo ID at polling stations before they received a ballot paper. More than one per cent of voters were turned away from polling stations because of ID requirements at the local elections, according to a group called Democracy Volunteers.
Half of them appeared to be from minority ethnic backgrounds, said the group, which conducted snapshot surveys in 118 councils on 4 May.
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