General election: record numbers of young people are registering to vote ahead of a snap poll With BBC Parliament eclipsing MTV’s viewing figures this January, young people signing up to vote is a sign of the times

Stereotypes suggest that young people don’t care about voting. Back in 2015, Ed Miliband was even compelled to pay Russell Brand a visit in an effort to persuade him and his YouTube viewers to head to the ballot box.

But now larger numbers of young people are registering to vote, according to the Government’s voter registration service.

Increase on last election

Nearly 1.3 million people under the age of 34 registered to vote in the past four months – that’s a 50 per cent increase in registrations compared to the same period before the 2017 general election was announced.

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With universities exploring automatic enrolment systems for their students, and the possibility of a general election looking more likely in the coming months, all signs point to a spike in the political engagement of young people.

In September alone, over 670,000 18 to 34 year olds registered to vote – nearly twice the number that registered in the same month in 2017 and a 50 per cent increase on the month in 2018.

It’s also the highest figure in online records for this time of year, a time which normally sees a spike in registrations anyway as new and returning students sign up at a new address.

While it was 25 to 34-year-olds who were registering most actively of any age demographic a year ago, last month it was the youngest prospective voters who signed up in the highest number, with more than 350,000 18 to 24-year-olds joining the electoral register. That’s a 61 per cent rise in the youngest voting age bracket signing up.

Renewed interest

First-time voters are eager to have their say at a pivotal time in the country’s history. Because wherever these new voters stand on Brexit, or taxation, or drug policy, it’s almost certain they have an opinion.

How could they not? We’re living in politically interesting times. BBC Parliament, the channel which shows parliamentary proceedings in minute detail, briefly saw viewing figures eclipse MTV in January this year. Now hitherto unknown backbenchers are household names, and no one bats an eyelid if you use ridiculous words like “prorogation” or “filibuster”.

That’s why campaigns like Vote For Your Future are working to make sure that whatever their views, young people see politics beyond Parliament’s eccentricities, and are able to engage with the very real implications of voting. It’s not about telling them how to vote, it’s about making sure they do vote.

We’re already seeing the impact of registration drives at freshers fairs across the country: not only are the vast majority of students registering, they are genuinely excited at the prospect of being able to vote.

After all, politicians won’t listen to our generation unless we make ourselves heard at the ballot box. Policies and manifestos are designed to appeal to voters, and in the past that demographic simply hasn’t included young people in the same numbers as it has older generations.

Earlier this year, the Electoral Commission revealed that one third of 18-34s are not currently registered to vote, but with a general election looking inevitable before the end of the year, there already looks to be a demographic shift underway in British politics.

And at a time when politics may seem irreparably divided, it’s fundamental that Leavers, Remainers, members of all political parties or none, work alongside each other to make sure that our generation isn’t left out of whatever decisions are taken next.

The effects of a higher turnout of young people could well be momentous. When just 533 votes amounted to the difference between a hung parliament and a majority government in 2017, it’s not hard to see why hundreds of thousands of young people are now registering to have their say.

Chris Allnutt is Head of Digital at Vote For Your Future, non-partisan youth voter registration and turnout campaign.