Welcome to iVote:
iVote is an independent, impartial, not for profit initiative, that aims to support democracy by inspiring young people to vote
“Dear Young People, Don’t Vote” spoof video with comedian Jo Brand
Comedian Jo Brand experiments with a new role as the wise facilitator of this in-no-way-exaggerated discussion group on voting. Shining a light on key issues raised by young people, Jo is ably assisted by some old people keen to share their accumulated wit and wisdom with the youth of today. You know its serious when Jo Brand’s involved. Produced in partnership with www.votesforschools.com.
Full version (about 7 mins):
Shortened version (about 4 mins):
Why vote? Why have a 6th form voter registration day? Watch the video!
A range of major public figures from across the political spectrum address key questions posed by 6th formers – with a call to action from leaders in education and from 6th formers themselves. A longer version of the video is available here
iVote Votes for Schools Teacher Resource Pack
In collaboration with Votes for Schools (www.votesforschools.com), we have produced a Teacher Resource Pack, available for free at:
This includes:
- an introductory animation (approx 1 min)
- an easy to use ‘off the shelf’ interactive powerpoint presentation, to deliver to the whole 16-19 cohort / the whole 6th form in an assembly (approx 30 mins). This includes the main (approx 10 min) “Why vote?” iVote video
- some key tips, to support you in organising a successful 16-19 year old / 6th form voter registration day/week in your school/college
- a simple form, to report how many 6th formers / 16-19 year olds you’ve got registered to vote, so we can track progress
iVote student video competition: Results
iVote has disbursed prizes for the best videos created by 16-19 year old students encouraging young people to vote / to register to vote (£62.50 each for the 2 winners who secured joint 1st place and £25 each for 3 runners-up). Videos were voted on by a panel of public figures drawn from across the political spectrum. As highlighted by the video here, that panel comprised:
- Alastair Campbell: Former Communications Director for Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair
- Alan Whitehead: Former Labour MP for Southampton Test
- Gareth Bacon: Conservative MP for Orpington
- Matt Hancock: Former Conservative Health Secretary and former MP for West Suffolk
- Wera Hobhouse: Liberal Democrat MP for Bath
- Baroness Sal Brinton: Former President of the Liberal Democrats
- Jonathon Porritt: Sustainability and Climate Campaigner and former Chair of the UK Government’s Sustainable Development Commission
Students aged 16-19 were invited to create their own videos, encouraging young people to vote / to register to vote. The competition was free to enter (with a maximum of one entry per student). Videos had to be:
- Impartial, short and relevant: 1 minute long or shorter, with the objective of encouraging young people to vote / to register to vote
- Submitted to iVote by a teacher (or school / college leader), with the email confirming parental consent for prize winning videos to be published, and confirming the name(s) of the student(s) participating, and that they are within the 16-19 age range
- Submitted by close Friday 7 June 2024
Encouraging action by School / College Heads
School / College Heads and leaders in education more broadly have a key role to play in supporting and encouraging young people to register to vote. iVote encourages school / college Heads to undertake voter registration days, to support their 6th formers in getting registered to vote. iVote is impartial, focusing purely on encouraging voter registration.
Geographic focus
iVote is focusing on England as this is where the challenge of youth voter registration is greatest across Great Britain. Analysis indicates that only 16% of 16-17 year-olds across Great Britain are currently registered to vote1 – and the number of registered ‘attainers’ (young people who reach voting age during the lifetime of the register) fell by 29% between 2020 and 2021. However, England in particular has seen substantial recent declines, with a 41% decline in registration by attainers between 2020 and 2021.2
An inclusive approach
iVote supports targeting the full diversity of college / 6th form school students, including those less interested in politics. By focusing on breadth of engagement, measured by numbers of students reached and registered, iVote aims to complement other initiatives that focus more on in-depth engagement (e.g. through democracy classrooms, teaching material, political internships and large conferences).
About
Contact
1 Data from 2022 shows that, across Great Britain, just 16% of 16-17 year olds are registered to vote. Even amongst 18-19 year olds, the figure is still only 60%. By contrast, 94% of 55-64 year olds and 96% of 65+ year olds are registered to vote. Data at: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-is-registered
2 The 41% decline in registration by attainers in England compares 2021 with 2020. By contrast, Scotland and Wales respectively saw a 6% and 34% increase in registration by attainers over that period. Table 3 at: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/electoral-registration-great-britain-2021
