Get ready to vote on 22 May says Hackney resident Jenny Watson, Electoral Commission chair

Jenny Watson, Chair of the Electoral Commission

I’ve been living in Hackney for 20 years and in 2009 I became Chair of the Electoral Commission. In that time Hackney’s changed a lot – and it will probably carry on changing. Living in a borough like ours, with a mobile and diverse population is a very good daily reminder of the challenges which face local authority staff right across the country as they try to get everyone registered to vote.

The elections are now just around the corner, and although many of Hackney’s residents will have registered to vote, many more will have missed their opportunity. That means if they decide on polling day they want to vote, they can’t, because their name isn’t on the list of voters.

And that’s particularly true for some very specific groups of Hackney residents. The Commission’s research shows that only 56% of 19-24 year olds registered to vote compared with 94% of those aged 65 or over and 77% of people from the BME community were registered compared to 86% of white people. Those living in private rented accommodation are also at greater risk of not being registered. Only 56% of renters are registered, compared with 89% of homeowners.

At the Commission, we receive many calls and emails from the public asking about how to register to vote. When we explain the system, they are often baffled that in this day and age they can’t submit their form online, but have to print it off and put it in the post.

So the government’s decision to move to online registration from June as part of the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) – is an important step forward. IER will make the system more secure, whilst ensuring that each individual is responsible for their own vote.

Online registration is an important step supporting the new system. It should be a real opportunity to get more young people registered to vote. The new system will be quick and easy to use and will mean it’s no longer necessary for people to print off a paper form and send it back to their local authority. That’s great for those organisations in Hackney which run voter registration drives in the run up to elections.

And it’s not just young people who will think ‘at last’ when they find they can register online. Many of us are now used to managing our lives in other areas online from paying for parking permits to fixing where to meet up on a Friday night. . It is a natural step in modernising our electoral system for the better and should help encourage all of us to get on the electoral register and be in a position to vote on polling day.

On 22 May, along with lots of other Hackney residents, I will be casting my vote at a polling station, making sure my voice is heard. I’d like to thank everyone who will be working on the elections this year, whether they are managing postal voting, at polling stations, or at the count.

If you want to vote, make sure you know where your polling station is. You might be voting in a different place from last time, because the voting districts have changed. If you’re not sure, Hackney Council can tell you. Polling stations will be open from 7am – 10pm and if you’ve never voted before, don’t worry: staff there will be able to explain what to do. And if you want to get registered now for the next election, visit www.aboutmyvote.org.uk. It will tell you everything you need to know.

Jenny Watson
Chair, Electoral Commission