Record numbers of people registered to vote ahead of the deadline on November 26, but experts say Britain still needs a “registration revolution”.
Over 3.8m people registered to vote after a general election was called last month, a 31 per cent increase compared to 2017, according to figures from the Electoral Reform Society (ERS).
Government data also shows that 37 per cent of those registered are young people under the age of 25.
The final deadline saw a surge in registrations, as 659,666 people signed up to vote by post and online. Of the last-minute registrations, an estimated 250,000 people were under 25.
Head of mobilisation at NGO Vote for Your Future, Phoebe Potter told Raven News that under-25s are preparing to head to the polls in response to the news, which has been “dominated” by politics since 2017.
According to Potter, there has been a “renaissance of youth activism” as young people become engaged in the issues that will define their lives – from mental health to climate change.
She said: “Many are considering this to be a defining election of a generation.”
The ‘missing millions’
Director of policy and research at the ERS, Jess Garland calls the surge in registrations “remarkable”, but warns that there are still millions missing off the electoral roll.
The ERS estimates that 9.4m potential voters failed to register on time. Based on 2017 figures, 1.4m of this year’s registered voters are also likely to be duplicates, too, meaning a further gap in the numbers.
Garland said: “For too long certain groups of voters have been missing from the register and as a result not had their voices heard at election time.”
Garland calls for automatic voter registration, a government system that would ensure all UK residents are registered as soon as they turn 18.
Potter said: “It should not be left up to individuals to set up initiatives to get young people on the register”.
Possible solutions include universities incorporating registration into student enrolment at the beginning of the academic year and estate agents offering reminders to renters when they move home. Potter said: “Young people overwhelmingly rent and move house between elections. This means that they often need to re-register for a new election.”
Both Potter and Garland agree the government should do more to encourage voter registration, particularly among young people.
Garland said: “We urgently need to update our archaic registration system to bring in the ‘missing millions’. Britain needs a registration revolution, to ensure the right to vote isn’t a lottery but is something secured for all.”