Joint statement: National Voter Registration Day

Unlock Democracy has joined with campaigners to pull out all the stops to get as many people registered to vote as possible by the voter registration deadline.

Coordinated by the Electoral Reform Society, Unlock Democracy is part of a coalition involving 15 campaigns, charities, and academics. The coalition has united behind National Voter Registration Day (22 November) in a mass voter registration drive.

The silent millions have huge amount of power. In 551 out of 650 constituencies, the number of non-voters is bigger than the sitting MP’s majority. Around two million people have already submitted applications to register to vote between October 29 and November 19.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 26 November at 23:59.

Joint statement: This National Voter Registration Day, it’s time to be counted

 With millions of people missing from the electoral roll, it’s time to pull out all the stops and ensure everyone can have their say on December 12th. It takes just 5 minutes to register and it’s vital if you’re not already signed up that you do so. Time is running out, so we’re proud to declare this Friday National Voter Registration Day.

As organisations representing a hugely diverse spectrum of society, we believe it is vital this election is built on a fair and universal franchise. That’s why registration is so important: if you’re not on signed up by midnight on November 26th, you can’t have your say.

We have to end the scandal of the ‘missing millions’. After this election, we call on all parties to commit to updating the system so it works for the whole UK. There are huge gaps in the electoral roll – from young people to BME groups and those on low-incomes: let’s close the gap and move towards automatic registration. In the meantime, we need to see an enormous push to bring in the ‘missing millions’. It’s time to be heard.