Young people are less likely to vote – here’s how to help get your friends to the ballot box
If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in politics and planning to vote on July 4. But your friends may not be – in 2019, it is estimated that only 47% of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the UK general election.
Voter turnout rates have always been lower among young people compared to older people, especially since the late 1990s. And while there has been plenty of reporting about young people’s disillusionment with current politics, when they do turn out, young people can change the outcome of elections. This is truer today than ever, as age has replaced class and become the most important factor in determining who votes for which party.
Still, you or some of your friends may need a bit of encouragement to get to the polls. For older people, the journey to the ballot box can be completed almost on autopilot. But if you and your friends haven’t voted in many elections (or it is your first time voting), there can be more barriers – and opportunities to stop caring.
Here are four things you can do to get your friends to vote:
1. Help them check where they are registered
Only 60% of 18- and 19-year-olds and 70% of under 35s are registered to vote, compared to 85% to 96% among older age groups, and the gap has widened in recent years.
While it is too late to register in this election, if your friends are on the electoral roll, make sure they check where they are registered to vote. Students can be registered at both their term-time and home address. The decision where to vote may be influenced by where they will be living on election day, or it can be a strategic choice.
If your friends aren’t going to be where they are registered on election day, they can have someone else vote for them by proxy. Applications for proxy vote are possible until 5pm on June 26, and emergency proxy vote can be arranged until 5pm on election day.
No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.
Read more from Quarter Life:
Climate doomism is bad storytelling – hope is much more effective at triggering action
A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season
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2. Talk to them about the issues
After electoral registration, the number one factor that keeps young people from voting is the feeling that they don’t know enough about who to vote for. Young people are less often targeted by political party campaigns, so may not feel they know very much about the candidates and the issues.
This is an easy problem to fix. Ask your friends what they care about – housing, education and jobs are all key topics in this election. Help them compare these to the positions of the candidates and political parties. Democracy Classroom maintains a brilliant repository of all general election manifestos and you can look up candidates in your area.
You don’t even have to trawl manifestos. There are online tools designed to help voters to compare their preferences on major issues with the positions of political parties and candidates. Using such tools has a strong positive effect on people’s reported turnout.
Send your group chat links to WhoGetsMyVote, provided by academics, or the more policy-focused Vote for Policies.
3. Take them to the polling station
Taking your friends to the polling station on election day can make all the difference. In our research in Wales, many young voters reported going to the polling station with their parents or family members, and said their families and friends had actively encouraged them to go out and vote.
First-time voters can sometimes find turning out to vote underwhelming – in practice it is much less exciting than we make it to be. So, why not make it a celebration? Combine a trip to the polling station with ice cream and a walk or a visit to the pub.
And when you pick them up, remind your friends to take photo ID. They can check if they have an accepted photo ID or alternatively apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 5pm on June 26.
4. Check in after the election, whether they voted or not
Voting can be a lifelong habit. What matters most for turnout is people’s perception of the impact their vote and voice can have. Political scientists call this political efficacy.
For young people, talking about politics can have a positive impact on their internal political efficacy, even if that is on online. Keeping the conversation going with your friends can help form a lifelong habit of voting.
And elections aside, talking about politics can also be a way for you and your friends to show that you care about political issues. Particularly for young people, elections might not be their number one way to strive for change. Young people more likely than older people to engage with political issues in other ways, such as protests or online activity.
Want more election coverage from The Conversation’s academic experts? Over the coming weeks, we’ll bring you informed analysis of developments in the campaign and we’ll fact check the claims being made.
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The research in Wales received funding from the UK Democracy Fund, a Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust initiative, grant number 360G-JRRT-2074-4015.