Quarter of young people don’t know they need ID to vote in mayor election
ONE in four young Londoners do not know about the need for photo ID to vote in the London mayoral election, a new poll reveals.
The YouGov survey for the Department of Politics at Royal Holloway University of London found 24 per cent of Londoners aged 18 to 24 were not aware of this legal requirement for local and regional elections in England and at the general election.
This compares to four per cent of Londoners aged 65 and over having this lack of awareness about the need for photo ID, seven per cent for 50 to 64-year-olds, and 13 per cent for the 25-49 age group. The poll also found that 72 per cent of Londoners aged 18 to 24 eligible to take part in the mayoral election knew they were registered to vote, with 18 per cent saying they were not, and 10 per cent “not sure”.
In contrast, 98 per cent of these residents in the capital aged 65 and over knew they were on the electoral register, 96 per cent of those aged 50 to 64, and 88 per cent for 25 to 49-year-olds.
Two-thirds of Londoners aged 65 and over say they are “absolutely certain to vote”, compared to just 30 per cent of those aged 18 to 24.
Professor James Sloam, an expert in youth politics at Royal Holloway University of London, said: “Young people tend to be more interested in issues, such as the environment, housing and mental health, than elections and party politics compared to older people. There is also a problem with awareness, registration and intention to vote for young people.
“Young Londoners are six times as likely to be unaware as Londoners over the age of 65 about the need for photo ID to be able to take part in the mayoral election. This is a barrier to vote that is unnecessary and should not have been put in place given the very small number of electoral fraud cases.”
Young adults in London are far more likely to vote for Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan, according to polls, than for Tory candidate Susan Hall who is ahead among the 65 and over age group. Ministers
have faced accusations of weighting the new requirement against young people as election officials will be able to accept 22 forms of ID, including Oyster 60+ cards and older or disabled person’s bus passes, but not some ID used by young people including 18+ Student Oyster card.
Thousands of people were stopped from voting in last year’s local elections as they did not have the correct ID.
A Savanta poll, using new methodology, yesterday showed Mr Khan’s lead over Ms Hall at 13 points, its narrowest since their campaigns launched.
• YouGov interviewed 1,157 adults in London online between April 9 and 17. Data are weighted.
This is a barrier to vote that should not have been put in place given the very small cases of electoral fraud
POLLS about the mayoralty usually delight some Londoners while disappointing others, but one we report today should dismay those of every political stripe. One in four young people do not know they need to bring photo ID to polling stations next Thursday, which is dispiriting stuff.
By contrast, 98 per cent of over-65s are aware of the requirement. A youthful generation, which has as much right to representation as any other, risks disenfranchising itself by accident. Whatever your politics, pass on the message: bring photo ID to a polling station or leave yourself voiceless.
Meanwhile, it is not too late for the boroughs and the Mayor’s office to respond to this situation with a blizzard of public information advertisements to remind us all of the new rules, especially on social media where young people may actually notice them.