Facebook and Electoral Commission Launch Voter Push
Social networking website Facebook has been brought in to get unregistered voters into the polling booth.
In a tie-up with the Electoral Commission, Facebook users who visit the site over the weekend will be asked if they have registered to vote. If they say “No” they will be sent to a page linked to the Electoral Commission that lets them enter details online.
The deadline for voter registration for the 6 May general election is 20 April – later than in previous elections. The Electoral Commission estimates that 3.5 million people who were eligible to vote in England and Wales in 2001 were not registered.
A change in the law following the 2005 general election means that the registration period has now been extended until 11 working days before polling day. In 2005 the rules meant that voter lists, based on the electoral roll, were closed by the time the election was actually called.
Youth focus
Every UK Facebook user who uses the site on Saturday will be asked whether they have registered for the coming poll.
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Those who have not will be able to enter their personal details and download a pre-filled form to sign and send off to the Electoral Commission – an offline step officials say is legally required to prevent electoral fraud.
Electoral Commission spokesman Clinton Proud said the exercise was part of the organisation’s remit to expand access to the democratic process.
“If you’re not registered, you can’t vote – it’s very simple. By downloading and printing a form through Facebook, users can now make sure that they are able to have their say on election day.
“Many people assume they are automatically on the electoral register if they pay council tax or if they have voted before. This is not the case. And if you have moved house, even within the same borough, you need to re-register with your new address.”
Richard Allan, director of policy at Facebook, said many of the site’s users were traditionally excluded from politics.
“One of the strengths we have is to try and capture that group, particularly the 18-24 year-old voters, who have often not turned out to vote, and use the fact that many of the things on Facebook are familiar to them to get them engaged.”
Potential voters can also find out how to register online by visiting the Electoral Commission’s registration website, www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.
Source: BBC News
Posted in: General
