As the daughter of a Labour MP and a die-hard feminist, I registered to vote the millisecond I was eligible.
By that point I’d heard more than enough lectures on the importance of democracy, and how many women died for my right to have my voice heard, and the message had been received, and well and truly understood.
But nearly seven million people in the UK may still be yet to register to put their X in a box for the general election on July 4th - and the deadline is just days away.
What’s stopping them? Dry-cleaner Arslan Erse, 33, is from Caledonian Road in North London, an area in the top 10 constituencies with the largest percentage of voters missing from the electoral register. He has never voted before. “I'm going to do it this time though,” he vows.
Arslan had no idea there was a date you have to sign up by, let alone that it was so soon, and promises he will take action straight away.
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So what is it about this particular election that’s made him decide to get involved? “Just everything that’s going on, the prices of everything, it’s out of control. We’ve tried one party for years and years, now it’s time to give someone else a chance and see if they can change things, make life better for everyone.”
Arslan Erse from North London has never voted before - but has vowed to this time (Phil Harris)Others are unregistered on purpose though, like Maxine Terrell, 48, who lives between London and Buckinghamshire. A local government officer, she’s not signed up and has absolutely no plans to change that any time soon.
“It's pointless,” she insists. “ I don't want to feel like my vote will be wasted. What's the point in me going to tick a box when I don't believe that they're going to help us?
The deadline to register is Tuesday – I wonder what percentage likelihood is there that she might possibly change her mind by then?
“Zero percent,” she replies. The lady is not for turning.
Maxine Terrell insists she won't be voting in the General Election 2024 (Phil Harris)Some people still have faith in voting, though. Chevaunne McColl, 33, lives in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, the seat Labour leader Keir Starmer is hoping to be re-elected to represent. Currently not registered, she’s planning to as soon as possible. “I've just moved to the area, and getting on the electoral roll is really important, especially now, with everything that’s going on. Rishi Sunak wasn’t even elected, and now we’re hearing lots and lots about how relatable he is now. I mean, I didn’t have Sky TV when I grew up either,” she laughs.
“I do think it's really important that the younger generation do pick up on that and vote.”
The city of Leeds now has a population of over 60,000 students, one of the highest in the country. It is also the constituency with the second lowest number of voter registrations. In the suburb of Headingley - the biggest concentration of students - we chat with Jojo Butterfield, 19, a sports business student at Leeds Beckett, originally from Lincoln.
Chevaunne McColl, who lives in Keir Starmer's seat, talking to the Mirror's Polly Hudson (Phil Harris)She admitted to knowing little about politics and blamed this largely on a lack of education in schools. She said: “If I learnt about politics from a young age it would be ingrained into me. I think if I do vote, I’ll just follow what my parents do because they know more than me.”
Caidy Vaugn, also 19, studying sports and science therapy, shared similar feelings. She said: “I didn’t get to learn much about politics in school and we never got taught how to understand politics so you feel disassociated from it.”
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Eve Moran, 21, from Durham, studying physical education, said that voting was not a common practice in her family. She said: “I wasn't brought up to do it and it's not something that a lot of people my age really do. Being taught about it at university would really help because you're not really taught about it at school.”
Just a few miles from Leeds city centre in the small suburb of Kirkstall we got chatting to careworker Karen Fields, who was pushing an elderly man in his wheelchair. The 52-year-old said never cast a vote or registered saying: "I'm waiting for politicians to finally listen to us."
Back in London, I meet Andrew, 45, who has never voted in an election. Previously homeless, he didn’t feel motivated to register once he had somewhere to live because he didn’t think it was worth it. “If I registered I’d vote for Jeremy Corbyn, he seems like a decent bloke, I’ve seen him out and about chatting to everyone. He seems normal. I’m sick of the Tories.” Sick enough to register to vote, so he could vote against them? “Maybe…” he says, thinking it over. Hopefully by the time he makes a decision it’s not too late.
Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves on the campaign trail on Monday morning (PA)Maria Cruz, 45, lives near Old Kent Road and has been spurred on to register by her daughter, Daisy, who has just turned 18 and signed up straight away, eager to have her say.
“I moved here a few years ago but I’m definitely going to register in the next few weeks.”
You don’t have a few weeks, Maria, the deadline is Tuesday! “Oh thank goodness you told me!” she laughs, “I’ll go online as soon as I get home.”
Maria plans to vote Labour because she’s just had enough of Sunak and Co. “They haven't done the job at all. It's a joke, it's just disappointing. I believe things can be different under Labour.” So what would she like them to be doing? “I mean, start with NHS. The cost of living crisis. There’s a lot for them to do.”
Spot on, Maria. But if we aren’t able to vote for them, they might not get the chance.
How to register to vote
So far only 1.1m applications to register to vote have been made since the election was called - meaning around seven million are still yet to take action.
But it is not too late. Karen Rooms, chair of Trustees for Citizens UK, said: “The deadline for voter registration is midnight on Tuesday June 18 - anyone who has not registered by then will not be able to vote on July 4. It is quick and easy to register online - but many people don’t even know they have to register in the first place.”
It takes around five minutes to register online by visiting gov.uk/register-to-vote and completing the form.
If you're not registered by midnight on June 18, you won't be able to vote in the election (PA Wire)You will be asked for your National Insurance number (you can find it via gov.uk/find-national-insurance-number ) but you can still register if you do not have one. After you’ve registered, your name and address will appear on the electoral register. You should then receive an email or a poll card from your local council telling you where your polling station on July 4 will be. If you are unsure whether you are already on the register check with your local office ( gov.uk/contact-electoral-registration-office ) to find out. You can also ask for help with registering.
Willie Sullivan, Senior Director of the Electoral Reform Society, said: "Participation is a vital sign of the health of our democracy, so it is crucial that as many people as possible are able to vote on July 4. We are urging anyone still unregistered to take the time register ahead of the deadline on Tuesday."
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