Skip to content
Register to Vote Apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate

East European Resource Centre – Raising Awareness for Eastern European Londoners – How to Register and Vote  

By GLA Democratic Participation Grants Team | 24th September 2024
Two women holding information leaflets.

East European Resource Centre (EERC) primarily engaged Romanian and Polish Londoners, as well as wider Eastern European communities, through in-person events and the distribution of promotional assets on social media. EERC also cascaded awareness-raising information amongst its internal staff; and embedded raising awareness of the voting-system changes into its existing services, such as its helpline support.   

They delivered 10 in-person events attended by 136 people and through engagement or training they reached 65 community groups/ civil society organisations. Their videos had over 2,900 views. 

  • 70 percent of participants, engaged via in-person or online events, had an increased awareness of the Voter ID requirement as a result of this project, compared with their previous knowledge  

Anna, a shop clerk at a Polish cosmetic shop in West London, agreed to display Voter ID project leaflets produced by EERC. During a conversation with Anna about the project, EERC staff members asked if she had considered voting in the next Mayor of London and London Assembly elections. Initially she was uninterested; however, EERC staff shared their own journey with Anna. They stated that, not that long ago, they would not have considered participating; but they had since realised the importance of voting. They explained how easy it was to vote, and the required steps to register to vote. Anna took a leaflet and appreciated the efforts of EERC staff to include people in the process. She stated that she would try to register to vote, and that she would contact EERC if she needed any further support.  

Helena attended the Voter ID project event delivered at EERC’s Hammersmith office. She listened carefully during the presentation, and mentioned that she was already registered to vote, but it had never crossed her mind to actually do so. She expressed a desire to attend more meetings like this one but lamented that she couldn’t find any specifically tailored for older people. She wished there were more initiatives like this project for Eastern Europeans. Helena highlighted that having conversations about the practicalities of life in London made her feel part of the community; after the meeting, she felt motivated to participate in the next Mayor of London and London Assembly elections.