Bid to boost youth vote as polling suggests widespread disillusionment

NEARLY half of young people believe their vote will not make a difference, suggesting widespread disillusionment with politics, according to research.

Polling data released to coincide with National Voter Registration Day today, which is the deadline for registering to vote in local elections on May 2, also suggests fewer than one in five (19%) of 18 to 24-yearolds trust politicians.

The polling by Opinium found 44% of young people do not believe their vote would matter in an election.

In addition, just a quarter of young people said they believe their needs are regularly considered by politicians, while less than a third (28%) felt those in charge of the country over the last few decades have made decisions that have had a positive impact on their lives.

Official figures suggest about one in three young people of voting age under 35 in the UK may not be registered to vote and the younger you are, the less likely you are to be registered, campaigners said.

Some 40% of those aged 18 and 19 were not registered to vote in 2022, according to the Electoral Commission, while 26% of 25 to 34-year-olds were not registered.

The data shows overall up to eight million people were not registered to vote in the UK.

Using population figures, the number of young people not registered to vote was estimated at approximately 4.3 million people.

This number would constitute the population of the UK’S second largest city.

The charity My Life My Say, supported by campaign groups #iwill Movement and Shape History, has launched the Give An X campaign in a bid to initiate the largest mobilisation of the youth vote in coming elections.

The charity is urging the young generation to register to vote so they can influence key issues.

Dan Lawes, head of partnerships at My Life My Say, said: “On National Voter Registration Day, we are proud to be standing with hundreds of organisations with one collective message – young people’s voices matter. It’s a call to action for every young person to step up, be counted, and shape the future they want to see.”