Kirk supports voter registration campaign

The Church of Scotland is backing a new campaign to encourage people to sign up to vote in the next General Election.

The Voter Registration Champion scheme is targeting voters at risk of not being able to have their say because they have not registering in time to take part.

This is Voter Registration Week (4-11 March) and the Church of Scotland, along with the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church, are ambassadors for the initiative.

Under the scheme, local churches that sign up to be champions will be equipped to try and increase democratic participation through registering people to vote, providing information about the need to have appropriate photo ID, and encouraging people to turn out on polling day.

Emma Jackson, convener of the Public Life and Social Justice Group of the Church of Scotland, welcomed the initiative, which has been set up by community organiser group, Citizens UK.

She said: "In a just and compassionate society, exercising our right to vote in one of key ways in which we can not only participate in democracy, but demonstrate our love for our neighbour as we engage in the issues that affect us all and we seek to hold our leaders to account.

"The Church of Scotland in uniquely placed in communities all around Scotland and is delighted to be working with Citizens UK and others as we help encourage and facilitate voter registration and participation in elections."

Democratic imperative

The Electoral Commission has warned that eight million eligible voters may not vote at the next General Election because they don't register to vote in time;

A total of four million eligible voters may not vote because they do not have appropriate photo id and 14 million eligible voters may not because they are not motivated to turn out to vote on election day.

Young people, non-UK nationals, renters or people who have recently moved, those who live in economically-disadvantaged communities, or people of an ethnic minority background are at greater risk of not being able to vote.

The Voter Registration Champions scheme has been set up to engage groups to address this and encourage democratic participation in a non-partisan way.

To find out more about becoming a Voter Registration Champion, visit here.

If you would like to know more about voter registration, you can listen to the Faith in Politics Podcast's 10 Minutes on Voter Registration here.