A Facebook campaign encouraging 18 year olds to register to vote has been launched by the Electoral Commission.
Recent figures reveal the number of ‘attainers’ (16 and 17 year olds) on the electoral registers fell 33% from March to December of last year.
The new campaign hopes to get more young people to take part in their first General Election by directing them to an application form to sign up to vote.
Michael Abbott, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission, said: ‘We saw at the Scottish Independence Referendum that young people can be one of the most passionate and engaged groups in our democracy, but they need to know that they can only have a say if they’re registered.
‘Turning 18 is an important rite of passage for young people, and gaining the right to vote in a General Election year is a huge part of that.’
The Electoral Commission is also using mobile advertising for the first time to directly encourage students to register to vote online.
