8m voices sign up to be heard

Millions of missing voters have made their mark by registering to vote. It’s a triumph for democracy and a triumph for Unite’s No Vote No Voice campaign.

Back in July Unite launched the No Vote No Voice project with a aim of getting 1 million people registered to vote – with the help of our coalition partners – including the Daily Mirror, Hope Not Hate and Votebooster we smashed it. Around 8m people have signed up since then.

Nearly half a million people alone registered to vote on the day of the deadline (April 20) – the busiest day since the introduction of online system.

Of those who used the online system Gov.uk on April 20, 152,000 were aged 25 to 34, 137,000 aged 16 to 24 and 89,500 were 35 to 44.

Fears over millions losing their voice after changes to the voter registration introduced by the government in September, led to the No Vote No Voice project – the biggest coalition of any campaign urging people to sign up.

Over 15 days the No Vote No Voice roadshow travelled across England and Wales in a red double-decker bus registering missing voters. We met some amazing people, from workers at the Ty-phoo tea plant in the Wirral to students at Manchester University.

“No Vote No Voice is the biggest coalition in Britain fighting to get democracy’s missing millions to vote,” said campaign leader and Daily Mirror columnist, Ros Wynne-Jones.

“Unite should be proud of the key role it has played in the campaign, tracking down the most marginalised voters in the country and persuading them to engage with a system that can often seem all too remote from people’s lives.

“Over 100,000 registered just during the two weeks of Unite’s national bus tour with Hope not Hate. Half a million people registered on the final day alone thanks to a huge noise created across every type of media.” she added.

She continued, “Unite, like the Daily Mirror, understands that a democracy missing working people’s votes is a democracy that will only ever work for the few. And its solidarity during the campaign with organisations like Operation Disabled Vote, Operation Black Vote and Bite the Ballot, has helped to amplify the voices of black, disabled and young voters.”

Wynne-Jones believes, “For too long people have felt that opting out of politics was their only option. In fact, broadening democracy is the only way to make it stronger. No Vote No Voice has been a hugely successful campaign – now politicians just need to make sure they give voters something to vote for on May 7.”

Go and vote!

Now that you’re registered, you need to get yourself down to your polling stations on May 7 and put a cross in the box. It’s really that easy.

 

May 7 is the day to have your say on the issues that really matter to you. Worried about the future of the NHS? Then vote for it. Is the lack of affordable housing an issue for you? Vote for it. Fed up of falling wages? Vote for it.

Voting is power – it’s the most powerful tool we’ve got to keep those that govern us in check. When you don’t vote, let alone register to vote you are easier for politicians to ignore.

Think about it, some of this government’s most damaging policies from the hated bedroom tax and welfare cuts to the hike in university tuition fees and tax cuts for the rich have hit the young, working classes, women and the disabled hardest of all – some of the most under-represented groups on the electoral roll.

Vote Labour

Unite is putting everything into a Labour victory on May 7 because Labour will, save our NHS, build more homes, ban zero hours contracts and much more besides. Check out Labour’s promises here: http://goo.gl/DMLzVq

Unite political director, Jennie Formby said, “May 7 is shaping up to be the most important general election for a generation. Another five years of the Tories in government would be a disaster for working people and their communities.

“It’s why Unite wants a Labour victory – we need a new kind of politics – one which gives ordinary working people hope – not more misery.

“Labour is the only party standing up for working people – they’ve got the right policies to make Britain a better place for all.

Formby added, “There is really only one choice in this election and that’s to vote Labour on May 7.”