General Election 2017: In three days more than 100,000 young people register to vote More than 100,000 people under the age of 25 have registered to vote since Prime Minister Theresa May announced three […]

More than 100,000 people under the age of 25 have registered to vote since Prime Minister Theresa May announced three days ago that she would call the General Election on 8 June.

Nearly 58,000 applied to vote on 18 April – a huge increase from the previous day when just 2,465 young people registered.

In total, 103,439 people under 25 signed up between 18 and 20 April. In addition, 99,106 people aged between 25 and 34 also signed up.

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The lowest sign-up rate was among the over 75s. Around 1,200 people signed up on 18 April compared with 127 on 17 April.

‘Encouraging’

It is “encouraging” that so many young people have registered to vote, says Emma Hartley, the head of campaigns at the Electoral Commission (EC).

“Our research shows that along with students and recent home movers, they are particularly less likely to be registered.

“Yet there are still many people who won’t be registered and could miss the chance to have their say in the upcoming general election. People who are not already on the electoral roll should register now at gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

Reasons for upsurge

The latest report from the EC suggests that registration numbers increase when there is importance attached to a poll.

Ahead of the 2015 General Election (7 May), there was an upsurge in voter registrations on 20 April – the deadline to sign up. More than 137,000 under 25s registered and more than 152,000 25 to 34 year olds signed up.

The higher registration for young people could also be down to the fact that people in the age bracket move around a lot. They may leave their home constituency to go to university in another area, where they will have to register again, and then perhaps move again to start work.

However Matt Henn, a professor in the School of Social Sciences politics division at Nottingham Trent University does not think the upsurge is down to a technical reason.

“It could well be because young people have been left feeling really deeply disappointed and worried by the outcome of the Brexit referendum and therefore want to do something to ensure their voice is heard in the General Election.”

Will they actually vote?

The increase in voter registration among young people should be welcomed, he says, but admits that many still will not make it to the ballot boxes.

Young people can feel disappointed in the performance of politicians, lack trust in them and find “the message about elections being communicated in a far too complicated and mystifying manner”.

In the 2015 General Election, just 43 per cent of 18-24 year olds turned out to vote compared with 78 per cent of over 65s.

The upsurge is particularly positive given the concern over the Individual Electoral Registration, which means that young people are now responsible for signing themselves up to vote.