Mobilising Voters! Become a Voter Registration Champion

Modern Church will be running a series of blogs between now and July 4^th, exploring key issues of justice that should inform the choice we make as we vote in the General Election. A good place to start is with voting itself.

Voter turnout really matters. In 2008, a historic election victory for Barack Obama made him the first Black President of the USA. In that General Election he received the overwhelming backing of two-thirds of voters aged 18-29, and minority voters (66% of Hispanic voters and 95% of Black voters), who were crucial to Obama’s victory. Analysts have praised his campaign’s effective use of the internet and social media, considering the utilization of both as key to his victory. In addition, voter turnout campaigns mobilised many who might otherwise not have voted to register and turn out on polling day. These voter registration campaigns were run on Community Organising principles, which is no coincidence given that Barack Obama cut his political teeth community organising in Chicago. Those who had previously despaired of achieving any kind of change for the better, or seeing anyone that looked like them wielding political power, made history. 63% of Americans who met the voting requirements voted, the highest percentage in fifty years. The electorate was the most racially and ethnically diverse in US history.

Those same methodologies are now at work here through Citizens UK, and as churches and congregations, we can contribute. Being part of the campaign for voter registration is a key non-partisan way for us to be put our shoulders to the wheel of participatory democracy – especially between now and June 18^th, the deadline for voter registration. All the major Christian denominations at national level have now signed up as Voter Registration Campaign Ambassadors – now it’s time to make this real at a local level.

Why? Because the Electoral Commission estimates that 8 million eligible voters will miss out because they are not properly registered. That’s a massive chunk of the electorate. Their research in 2023 showed that 4 million may not vote because they do not have the appropriate photo ID. 14 million may not vote because they are not motivated to turn out. Most likely to be affected are the young; those who are not UK nationals; people who rent; people who have moved recently; those who live in economically dispossessed communities, and those from minority ethnic communities. Across the ecumenical spectrum, churches have links with all of these communities through their own membership, faith schools, community projects. Citizens UK also has deep roots and connections to these communities; has enabled people many times to register to vote, and has over a decade’s experience of training leaders from local member institutions.

A pilot Election Sunday in Milton Keynes showed that, of the (fairly typical) Anglican congregation, some 15% were either not already registered to vote, or weren’t sure whether they were. And there were some present who were unclear what identification they needed to take with them, or of what to do if they possessed neither a passport or driving licence, or were of no fixed abode.

Could your church make a difference?

You can download resources for a simple activity to hold at your church service on June 9^th or 16^th here, and after you have ensured that all those who are eligible to vote have either registered or pledged to, you can become accredited as a Voter Registration Champion here.

If you have the time and the passion to go further, and your church has community or other projects that bring people into the building, why not think about promoting voter registration through those activities too? Perhaps you host a food bank or a foodshare; a community café, a drop-in, or a parent and toddler group? If you have internet access in your building, you can support people to register between now and June 18^th. Here are some important dates to bear in mind (with links to relevant pages for taking action):

• Deadline to register to vote
  Tuesday 18th June (Midnight)
• Deadline to apply for a postal vote
  Wednesday 19th June (5pm)
• Deadline to apply for a proxy vote
  Wednesday 26th June (5pm)
• Deadline to apply for a Voter ID Certificate
  Wednesday 26th June (5pm)
• Election Day!
  Thursday 4th July (polls open 7am – 10pm)

At this stage, mobilising people to vote is top priority, but there are other activities you can embrace too. If you fancy holding a hustings for your local election candidates, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has resources to support you (https://churcheselection.org.uk/).

It is not too late to catch two webinars on political theology jointly organised by Modern Church and The Church Times. The first was aired on June 3^rd, and the second will be on June 10^th. Watch live or catch up later! You can find more information here.

And you can pray! The bishops of the Church of England have issued a call to put prayer and participation at the heart of the General Election campaign as the UK prepares to go to the polls.https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/general-election-2024-invitation-pray-nation.

Additional information about Citizens UK’s Voter Registration Champions Campaign can be found here.

Alison Webster is General Secretary of Modern Church. You can read her Church Times article on the General Election here.