London unites for the sixth London Voter Registration Week

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has launched the sixth annual London Voter Registration Week to help under-represented and under-registered Londoners access their right to vote.

The GLA, Shout Out UK, local councils, civil society organisations and education institutions across the capital have joined together to support this annual voter registration campaign which is designed to address gaps in voter registration levels and the ongoing impact of the Elections Act (2022), especially the introduction of mandatory photo Voter ID and changes to the voting rights of some EU Londoners.

GLA and Electoral Commission research shows that under-registered and under-represented communities are less likely to be aware of the photo Voter ID requirement or possess an accepted form of photo Voter ID.

Taking place between September 16-22, London Voter Registration Week (LVRW) 2024 coincides with the annual canvass – boroughs writing to addresses across the capital to check the electoral register is correct. LVRW 2024 raises awareness about who can register to vote and how to do it, including recent changes to the voting rights of some EU Londoners, and details on how to register anonymously or if an eligible individual does not have a fixed address.

The GLA campaign uses social media, community engagement and events in education institutions to reach Londoners. It includes accessible materials for Deaf and disabled Londoners, with resources available in Easy Read format and 16 community languages, including British Sign Language. Londoners will also have access to the GLA Democracy WhatsApp chatbot (+44 7908 820136) and a newly launched #NoVoteNoVoice WhatsApp channel that will help them navigate the voting changes, answer frequently asked questions, and point to GLA Political Literacy resources.

The collective action comes as figures show London still has lower voter registration rates compared with the rest of England, despite seeing the highest increase in rates among different types of local authority area [1], since the launch of LVRW in 2019.

Three in 10 young Londoners (aged 16-24) are not registered to vote [2], with young Londoners, alongside Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and migrant Londoners, including Commonwealth and EU Londoners, and social and private renters, the most under-registered and under-represented groups [3]. Many of these Londoners are also Deaf and disabled and on low incomes.

LVRW 2024 is a key milestone in phase three of the wider GLA Voter ID public awareness campaign which is raising awareness about the accepted forms of photo Voter ID; how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if an eligible Londoner does not have any photo ID to vote; changes to applications for postal and proxy voting; types of voting and more.

Since the launch of the GLA Voter ID public awareness campaign, the GLA and its coalition have achieved:

• A 60 percentage point increase in awareness of the introduction of photo Voter ID, to 93 per cent [4]. Black Londoners (83 per cent), Londoners aged under 25 (86 per cent) and Londoners earning under £20,000 (90 per cent) remain less likely to be aware.
• 6.05m London adults (18 and over) reached via the paid Voter ID marketing and communication activity.
• Over 190,000 under-registered and under-represented Londoners directly reached by the GLA community grantees through varied activity.

Matteo Bergamini, CEO/Founder, Shout Out UK, said: “As we gear up for the sixth annual London Voter Registration Week, I am thrilled to once more be a part of our city’s collective effort to empower every Londoner to fully engage in our democracy.

“Throughout the years, we, at Shout Out UK, have been working with the Greater London Authority to provide updated resources and the support needed to ensure that every single voice is heard and that our democratic process remains vibrant and inclusive.

“This year’s focus on post-election engagement is crucial as we continue to adapt to the changes brought by the Elections Act (2022) – after all democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box, it starts there. So, join us on London Voter Registration Week and beyond to promote civic and democratic engagement across London! #NoVoteNoVoice”