Stephen Metcalfe, local MP
for South Basildon and East Thurrock, is encouraging young people to register
to vote as part of Bite the Ballot’s National Voter Registration Day which
falls on 5th February.
Bite the Ballot is a
politically-neutral social enterprise on a mission to empower young voters and
focuses on encouraging engagement in politics starting with increasing voter
registration amongst 16-25 year olds.
Their primary aim is to
register and engage the 4,000,000 young people who are currently not registered
or represented before the next general election; those who are furthest away
from politics. Once engaged, young people will have the power to vote - or abstain
- at the next general election in 2015.
From 2014, it will be an
annual day of action in which Bite the Ballot’s partners, which include the
NUS, Teach First, ASDA, US partners Rock the Vote and hundreds of smaller youth
groups, will be involved in activities in schools, universities and local
communities. On the day, each partner will have a Bite the Ballot station set
up and volunteers will be on hand to get as many people registered and talking
about politics as possible.
With the advent of individual
electoral registration in 2014, heads of households will no longer register
young people to vote which means the UK’s democratic deficit is at risk of
increasing. Bite the Ballot is doing something about this on a large scale.
Stephen Metcalfe MP
commented: “I am delighted to be supporting Bite the Ballot’s National Voter
Registration Day. Young people have the power to make a real difference to
politics and we as politicians should do all we can to engage them in this
process.”
“Change isn’t going to
happen overnight but I hope that initiatives such as this will inspire people
in South Basildon and East Thurrock to register to vote and make their voice
heard at the next general election.”
