BRITAIN-POLITICS/VOTER REGISTRATION Britons encouraged to register to vote ahead of general election

Record ID: 328468

  • Title: BRITAIN-POLITICS/VOTER REGISTRATION Britons encouraged to register to vote ahead of general election
  • Date: 5th February 2015
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FEBRUARY 5, 2015) (REUTERS) SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS HOLDING UP T-SHIRTS AT START OF RALLY T-SHIRT READING (English) "MY VOTE MY VOICE #FIRST TIME VOTER" STUDENTS AT RALLY STUDENT WITH STICKER ON FACE READING (English): "REGISTERED TO VOTE" WOMAN HANDING OUT POSTERS STUDENT HOLDING POSTER READING (English): "CITIZENS UK" (SOUNDBITE) CITIZENS UK, PROMISE KNIGHT, SAYING: "We saw this as a particular opportunity to get young people to engage productively in the democratic process and saying 'actually this is my vote, my voice and yes I can register myself to vote'. So that's the inspiration behind the campaign seeing something that could potentially be an issue as a potential opportunity." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS MARCHING DOWN HIGH STREET TOWARDS TOWN HALL AND CHANTING ISLINGTON TOWN HALL STUDENTS LISTENING STUDENT HANDING OVER BOX OF VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS TO TOWN HALL OFFICIAL STUDENTS CHEERING CLOSE OF BOX HOLDING MORE THAN 250 FORMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT, HADIA AL-HALAKI, SAYING: "It's important that people are registered so that their voices can be heard, their opinions can be taken into account and they don't voluntarily exclude themselves from the democratic process." (SOUNDBITE) SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT, NAJAL IMRAN, SAYING: "Yeah I think everyone has that stereotype of all politicians are the same and all parties are the same and like it's not going to change and stuff but you can't think like that because we need to get.. as young people we're neglected and we saw that in the last general election when not many young people voted and we got out EMA [Education Maintenance Allowance] cut and student tuition fees tripled. So this time round we need to get our voices heard show the politicians that we do have a voice and that we care." LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FEBRUARY 4, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROJECTION ONTO HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA11YVP70DQ2MP6KFC2AXYQYB5P
  • Story Text: Dozens of teenagers in London held a rally on Thursday (February 5), as part of a push to encourage people to register to vote ahead of Britain's general elections in May.
    Campaigners are targeting the millions of people who are not on the electoral register, many of whom are aged between 18 and 24.
    "We saw this as a particular opportunity to get young people to engage productively in the democratic process and saying 'actually this is my vote, my voice and yes I can register myself to vote'. So that's the inspiration behind the campaign seeing something that could potentially be an issue as a potential opportunity," said Promise Knight of charity Citizens UK.
    Last year campaigners signed up 50,000 new voters on what they call "voter registration day" and this year they hope to encourage 250,000 people to do the same.
    The teenagers, some of whom will be old enough to vote in May, marched to Islington local town hall to hand over hundreds of new voter registrations forms.
    "It's important that people are registered so that their voices can be heard, their opinions can be taken into account and they don't voluntarily exclude themselves from the democratic process," said Hadia al-Halaki, who will be too young to vote at the general election.
    "Yeah I think everyone has that stereotype of all politicians are the same and all parties are the same and like it's not going to change and stuff but you can't think like that because we need to get.. as young people we're neglected and we saw that in the last general election when not many young people voted and we got our EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) cut and student tuition fees tripled. So this time round we need to get our voices heard show the politicians that we do have a voice and that we care," added Najal Imran, who is 18 and will be able to vote.
    Around the country schools, places of worship and unions have been taking part in the initiative.
    On Wednesday (February 4), an image encouraging people to register was projected onto the side of Britain's iconic parliament building.
    Changes to Britain's voter registration system mean individuals need to register themselves where previously voters were collectively registered by the head of their household.
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