This weekend sees a push by organisations committed to getting young people to register to vote in the EU referendum. Wake Up And Vote, a volunteer organisation encouraging young people to vote in the referendum, and Bite the Ballot, an organisation committed to empowering young voters, have released a new video to raise awareness of the deadline. It is a filmed live stunt – giving real young people a surprise when they went to register. It’s demonstrating that no-one else is more important in the referendum. The video is made by Action Productions and directed by David Brighouse.
The deadline for registering is midnight on Tuesday June 7th. Young people are much less likely to register than older people. 30% of all 20-24 year-olds are unregistered, compared with just 5% of those over retirement age (65+). If people do not sign up by Tuesday night, they will lose their opportunity to vote in the EU Referendum on June 23rd and influence the country’s biggest decision for a generation.
“We gave some young people the star treatment to show them how important their vote is – whichever way they cast it,” said Louis Persent of the Wake Up And Vote campaign. “It takes just three minutes to register. If you don’t register then you’re letting others determine your future.”
This weekend, Bite The Ballot’s #TurnUp Campaign, in collaboration with HOPE Not Hate, will include engagement of faith networks across the country, Democracy Cafes bringing communities together to talk about issues related to the EU, and “#InOutLive” – a live streamed game show (think Celebrity Juice meets Question Time). The digital audience will be empowered to register through this unconventional engagement vehicle, making politics feel more relevant to ordinary people.
