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New campaign to raise awareness about changes to democratic rights and ensure Londoners can vote

By Dr Elisabeth Pop, GLA Principal Officer, Democratic Participation | 16th January 2023
No Vote No Voice

Shout Out UK        No Vote No VoiceGreater London Authority

  • The Greater London Authority (GLA) and Shout Out UK have launched an unprecedented new campaign to help under-represented and under-registered Londoners access their right to vote
  • Boroughs, civil society groups and education institutions are supporting the campaign which is raising awareness of changes to the voting system, including the need for photo ID to vote
  • Under-represented communities are more likely to be disenfranchised by the voting system changes

The Greater London Authority (GLA) and Shout Out UK (SOUK) have launched an unprecedented impartial public awareness campaign about forthcoming changes to the voting system to ensure every eligible Londoner can continue to access their civic and democratic rights.

Boroughs, civil society groups and education institutions across the capital are supporting the campaign which is designed to address the equalities impact of the Elections Act 2022, especially the introduction of mandatory photo ID to vote.

London already has one of the lowest voter registration rates across the UK [1] and figures shows that one in 10 Londoners are at risk of losing their democratic voice as they might not have suitable ID, with under-represented communities most likely to be disenfranchised.

The unprecedented, impartial campaign, which is coordinated with the Electoral Commission’s nation-wide campaign, will include communication across press, radio and social media, and information and educational materials, including accessible materials for Deaf and disabled Londoners and translations in 10 community languages. It will raise awareness of the acceptable forms of photo ID to vote, how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate, and that the first steps remains the need to register to vote.

This coordinated approach aims to ensure all eligible Londoners have a say on decisions impacting them, their local communities and our great city as figures show that six in 10 are not aware of the changes to how we vote and who can vote.

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.

These under-registered and under-represented Londoners have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis, and are at a higher risk of losing their vote when the impact of the Elections Act 2022 is felt in May 2024, when the next London elections will be held.

Stats show:

  • Half a million Londoners do not possess a passport.
  • More than 2.6m Londoners do not have a full driving licence, with women less likely to have one.
  • Only around one in five (18 per cent) of disabled Londoners would be able to present a Freedom Pass as ID, if required.
  • One in five Black Londoners and one in three EU Londoners are not registered to vote and risk being disproportionately impacted by these voting system changes.
  • 12 per cent of LGBTQI+ people do not own any usable photo ID, with nearly two in five trans people and more than one third of non-binary individuals having previously experienced problems getting their ID accepted.
  • An estimated 1.7m low-income adults across the UK are at risk of losing their democratic voice due to difficulties securing a photo ID.

Further polling commissioned by the GLA and carried out by YouGov [4] also shows that:

  • 61 per cent of Londoners are not aware of the forthcoming photo ID requirement in order to vote.
  • The third who are aware is comprised of just 13 per cent who are aware of which forms of ID will be accepted and 20 per cent who are not.
  • Black (30 per cent) and other / mixed Londoners are less aware (27 per cent) of the requirement, and Londoners born in the EU are slightly less likely to be aware than those born in the UK (34 per cent compared to 29 per cent).
  • Londoners on lower household incomes (particularly those under £20k) are less likely to be aware – this is seen most strikingly by social grade, where 38 per cent ABC1 Londoners are aware compared to 25 per cent of C2DE Londoners.
  • When asked what forms of ID respondents hold, polling revealed one in 10 Londoners (11 per cent) does not hold a form of approved photo voter ID specified in the Elections Act (2022).
  • Close to 1 in 5 Londoners aged under 25 say that they do not hold an approved ID (19 per cent).

Over the last two years, through the annual London Voter Registration Week, the GLA and its partners have contributed to the voter registration of more than 75,000 people and have reached more than 1.4 million Londoners.

Matteo Bergamini, CEO/ Founder, Shout Out UK: “We are living through one of the most significant changes in how we exercise our democratic right to vote in Britain’s history, which makes Political Literacy and democratic awareness of how you register to vote, and then vote, more important now than ever before! This is why Shout Out UK is teaming up with the Greater London Authority to ensure that all Londoners understand the changes coming and to ensure no one, no matter who they are, is excluded from our democracy.”

Mihai Calin Bica, Campaigning and Policy Coordinator, Roma Support Group: “European Roma communities have made the UK their home for a few decades now. Despite that, we are still missing on opportunities to contribute to the British democratic process. The Voter ID Awareness Campaign brings forward information on historical changes to the voting process. We are supporting this campaign as we are embarking on a new journey to empower Roma communities to have their voices heard in democratic processes and fully contribute to British society.”

Rosie Trevill, Community & Communications Coordinator, Elect Her: “Elect Her are proud to support GLA and Shout Out UK in their campaign to address the introduction of photo Voter IDs and removal of voting rights from some EU Londoners. Eleven per cent of Londoners don’t currently hold an approved form of photo voter ID. It is vital for our democracy that every citizen has a voice, and voting is the first step to becoming politically active. We hope this campaign raises awareness of the negative impact introducing photo Voter IDs will have on our democracy.”

Jacky Peacock, Advice 4 Renters: “The average tenancy in the private sector is three to four years, and for the most vulnerable renters it’s often less than that. It’s not surprising then that private tenants are the least likely group to register to vote, because they know they may well be living in a different area before the next elections. Yet, this is the group whose voice really needs to be heard if we are ever to persuade politicians to take the steps needed to improve the experience of private tenants. That’s why we place a high priority on making renters aware of the importance of voting and encouraging them to get onto the electoral register.”

Nazek Ramadan, Director, Migrant Voice: “Many migrants have been long-term residents and play active roles in UK society, both nationally and locally. Yet too many migrants are unable to have a voice and take part in one crucial mechanism of the UK democracy – voting. The new voter ID rules will disproportionately affect minorities, which includes migrants who can vote in UK elections. It’s important for as many people as possible to be aware of the change so they can prepare and be able to vote at their next elections.”

Rensa Gaunt, Communications and Media Officer, Inclusion London: “Inclusion London is supporting the Voter ID Awareness Campaign because it’s vital that Deaf and Disabled Londoners are heard in our elections. Many people don’t have photo ID, or don’t know that they can use their Freedom Pass, Disabled Person’s Bus Pass or Blue Badge photocard. We support the campaign to reach everyone in our communities and give them the support they need to be ready to vote.”

Jacobo Belilty, Coordinator, CLAUK: “The Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK (CLAUK) is a group of ‘led by and for’ Latin American organisations pioneering work to raise awareness and understanding of the issues facing the Latin American community in the UK. As an equity-led migrant coalition, CLAUK understands that voting is not only a right that we should be able to exercise, but also a means through which we can empower ourselves, voice our concerns, and support policies that represent our interests. Engaging further with this campaign on the changes to the voting system and the introduction of a voter ID requirement in elections, our aim is to create the needed outreach that will allow us to inform the target groups in our community who might become disenfranchised with the Elections Act 2022.”

 

Notes to editors:

To find out more about the GLA Voter ID public awareness campaign and access all the resources produced for this project, as well as resources from previous London Voter Registration Weeks, please visit the GLA Democracy Hub at registertovote.london

The list of acceptable ID that voters in England will need to show to vote at polling stations can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

Civic and democratic participation is a key pillar of social integration. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has statutory powers to further the promotion of social development in London. Supporting active citizenship and democratic participation furthers social cohesion, and fits within this remit.

The Voter ID public awareness campaign is funded and coordinated by the GLA, and run-in coordination and collaboration with the London Voter Registration Strategic Partnership – made of statutory bodies, like the Electoral Commission and the London Association of Electoral Administrators – and civil society organisations from across the city. The delivery partner for this initial phase of the campaign is the youth and political literacy organisation Shout Out UK.

In October 2022, the EU Digital Citizenship Working Group and Meta recognised the unique London Voter Registration Week co-design model and co-delivery partnership and its impact in the “Europeans Fit for a Digital Age” [5] report, the only UK digital citizenship project to be included as a spotlight.

In December 2022, the GLA and Shout Out UK were also shortlisted for the Democracy Awards 2022 “Equality and Power” category, hosted by the UK Democracy Network, for the impact of London Voter Registration Week.

1] Cabinet Office, Atlas of Democratic Variation, January 2019

[2] 70 per cent of 16-24-year-old Londoners are registered to vote, compared with 96 per cent of Londoners aged 65 and over. GLA, Survey of Londoners 2021-22, September 2022 https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/survey-of-londoners-2021-22

[3] 82 per cent of Londoners from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background are registered, compared to 95 per cent of White British Londoners. 81 per cent of non-UK born Londoners are registered, compared to 91 per cent of UK-born Londoners. 88 per cent of social renters and 81 per cent of private renters are registered to vote, compared with 94 per cent of homeowners – occupiers. GLA, Survey of Londoners 2021-22, September 2022 https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/survey-of-londoners-2021-22

[4] The survey was carried out online by YouGov Plc. for the Greater London Authority. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th and 24th August 2022 with a total sample size of 1,245 London residents. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all London adults (aged 18+). https://data.london.gov.uk/gla-poll-results/2022-2/

[5] The full report can be viewed at https://www.shoutoutuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/EU-DCWG_Fit-for-the-Digital-Age.pdf