Some research is being conducted by researchers at Royal Holloway and Partnership for Young London. Young people are much less likely to vote in elections than older voters. This is particularly true for youth from underserved backgrounds. But if young people vote less, it is (even) less likely that politicians and parties will represent their interests when they come to power. In this project, we would like to find out young people’s voting patterns as well as why some young people do not vote.
The project will engage with policymakers and young Londoners to answer these questions and make recommendations to policy-makers (London Councils and the Electoral Commission), so that they can better promote youth participation from all groups of young people in upcoming elections. We aim to encourage participation by placing a higher value on young people’s lived experiences.