Do you rent or move frequently? Don’t forget to register to vote at the right place.
Minister Chris Skidmore outlines the importance of registering to vote regardless of where you live.
Frequent movers are one of the least likely groups of electors to be registered to vote in the UK.
It is estimated that the proportion of private renters who are registered to vote is 63%, compared to homeowners who are around 94%.
The challenges we face with transient populations are becoming more difficult to address especially in our inner city areas. Manchester, for example, has a turnover of around 100,000 residents a year.
Recently, I welcomed National Landlords Association, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Southwark Council, representatives from Lewisham Council and Manchester Council, St Mungo’s, Crisis and Shelter, to the Cabinet Office to discuss the issues and see what more can be done to tackle low registration levels.
One of the main barriers raised was that many people who are homeless or in temporary accommodation are not aware of their right to vote or that they can still register using a temporary day, assessment centre address, or previous address.
One solution we discussed was to give more information to staff in organisations supporting those in temporary accommodation. Something I will explore further with those organisations.
I recognise that there is no ‘one size fits all solution’ but I can see a range of improvements that could be made. There were many best practice examples from the attendees that I plan to take with me and share with other stakeholders.
The Electoral Commission recently ran a campaign called #MakeTodayTheDay which encouraged electors not to put off registration any longer.
Shelter also came up with an innovative way of reaching renters by sending two emails to Shelter supporters who themselves rent. The first demonstrated how easy it is to register and the second outlined the downsides of not registering.
What I was keen to encourage and share with everyone around the table was the importance of what registration can offer an individual beyond putting a cross in a box.
Most people don’t know that being on the register can improve your credit rating and it is not unknown for a bank to refuse a loan, mortgage or credit card for not being on the register. It can also be used as proof of address.
I have heard of schemes where housing associations and private landlords will include the link to registration in the completion documentation. This is something I would like to see done more widely and I will be exploring in more depth what support the Cabinet Office can offer in this area.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. I will include my learnings from this event and my national tour to develop a democratic engagement strategy that reaches out to all communities to ensure everyone has their say and no-one is left behind.
This is just one part of building a democracy that works for everyone.
