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Home / One in four black voters not registered to vote, says Electoral Commission

One in four black voters not registered to vote, says Electoral Commission

By agency reporter
March 14, 2018

The Electoral Commission estimates that 24 per cent of black voters in the UK are not registered, as nearly half of England gets set to go to the polls for local elections on 3 May 2018.

The Commission’s brand new campaign Got 5? is encouraging people to register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote before the 17 April deadline if they have local elections in their area.

It also estimates that 20 per cent of Asian voters are not registered to vote, whilst nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of electors with mixed ethnicity are not yet registered.

The campaign has teamed up with organisations that support black and ethnic minority communities to encourage registration and highlight that you can quickly register in five minutes while running a bath or waiting for the kettle to boil.

Emma Hartley, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission, said: “With many local authorities across England and London holding local elections in May, it’s vital that people register to vote before the 17 April deadline.

“We’re keen to see people using the time that may otherwise be wasted, like waiting for a bus, to go online and complete a form in five minutes. It’s quick, simple and really important.”

People can find out if they have elections in their area on the Commission’s Your Vote Matters website. Local government elections select councillors, who are responsible for making decisions on running services in your local area.

To vote in local council elections a person must be registered to vote, 18 years or over on polling day and also be one of the following:

  • a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the European Union
  • resident in the UK
  • not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote

If you were eligible to vote in last year’s general election and your details have not changed, you will still be registered to vote.

* Register to vote here

* More information on voting in the local elections can be found on the Your Vote Matters website here

* See the YouTube video Got 5? on registering to vote here

* Electoral Commission https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/

[Ekk/6]

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