2 February 2016
The estimated ten million people who choose not to vote in the UK could have a profound impact on the outcome of the next election if they can be convinced to participate by 2020 according to the Green Party, who fully support Bite the Ballot’s National Voter Registration Drive.
Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said this group of people “holds a lot of power” and that a government or a party’s electoral legitimacy is dependent on a high turnout.
There will be local elections in many parts of the country, including Norwich, along with elections for the Police and Crime Commissioner on Thursday 5th May this year, and a referendum on EU membership has been promised by the end of 2017 – yet it has been estimated that nationally, almost a million people have dropped off the electoral register since the rules for how to register changed in 2014.
Speaking ahead of the annual NVRD week, Bennett said:
“Our democracy is far from perfect and it’s not difficult to see why so many, especially young people, are not engaged with politics. Parties and politicians have a duty to encourage as many people as possible to play a part in voting and it’s not acceptable for any government to be content with low voter turnout. The higher the turnout, the more legitimate a party or government’s electoral success becomes.
“A lot of people don’t vote because they don’t see the point, but the ten million potential voters in the UK who can vote, but choose not to, could be decisive in determining who forms the next government. This group holds a lot of power.”
Last year, Bite the Ballot and partners encouraged 441,696 people to register to vote in one week of community and online democratic action.
