Churches Together in England and our Member Churches the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Church of England, Methodist Church, Quakers in Britain and the United Reformed Church have joined the campaign to increase democratic participation by registering people to vote.
Launched in Voter Registration Week (4 to 11 March), the Voter Registration Champions initiative from Citizens UK has been set up to encourage participation, in a non-partisan way. The churches join employers, universities and faith and community groups.
Local churches are encouraged to sign up as Voter Registration Champions, as a way of helping to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate and be heard in the democratic process.
CTE General Secretary, Bishop Mike Royal said: “Churches are often on the frontline of tackling poverty in communities through the provision of foodbanks, warm hubs and debt centres. Churches Together in England is, along with its partners, committed to making poverty a key General Election issue. Voter registration is therefore essential if the democratic will of everyday people is to be fulfilled. We support the work of Citizens UK as they enable people to be stakeholders in political decisions that will affect us for years to come.”
CTE Principal Officer for Pentecostal, Charismatic and Multi-cultural Relations, Min Shermara Fletcher-Hoyte said: “Churches across the country are at the heart of local communities and are positioned to respond to the social needs they face as a result of governmental policy. As well as having a spiritual duty to the communities they serve, churches also have a civic duty and one of the ways they can fulfil this is by encouraging participation in democratic election processes. From this year, voter ID registration is a key requirement for participation and we do not want this to be an obstacle or a tool of ostracism. Citizen’s UK’s voter registration campaign is a positive way to ensure everyone can participate and CTE gives this our full support.”
Rev Gill Newton and Kerry Scarlett, President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, said: “As a justice-seeking church, we understand acting for justice and transformation as part of our discipleship; of our becoming more Christ-like. We know that in our communities, there are people who do not know that, in a democratic process, voting is a way to make their voices heard, and to join in shaping a flourishing society. Or, they may not know how to register to vote. That’s why the Methodist Church is supporting the Voter Registration Champions initiative, and encouraging local churches to get involved in helping to overcome barriers to people’s participation in our political processes. We urge everyone to ‘love, pray and vote’ this election year.”
Rev Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said: “Christians believe that God has called us to seek the peace and prosperity of the places in which we live, one way we can do that is to listen to prospective parliamentary candidates, pray for them, reflect on their policies, and use our votes.”
The Electoral Commission has warned that 8 million eligible voters may not vote at the next General Election because they don’t register to vote in time; 4 million eligible voters may not vote because they do not have appropriate photo ID; and 14 million eligible voters may not vote because they are not motivated to turn out to vote on election day. This lack of participation is skewed – you are at greater risk of not being able to participate in the democratic process if you are: young, a non-UK national, rent your home, have moved recently, live in an economically-disadvantaged community, or are from an ethnic minority.
16 April is the deadline for registering to vote for local and mayoral elections that are taking place in many parts of England on 2 May.
Find out how to register your church as a Voter Registration Champion
Download the Joint Public Issues Team guide to new requirements for photo ID