Highlands and Islands MSP Backs Voter Registration Drive

23rd January 2014

North (Scottish Labour) MSP, Rhoda Grant is calling on voters across the Highlands and Islands to get involved in National Voter Registration Day (NVRD).

Wednesday 5th February 2014 will see people right across Great Britain encouraging others to register to vote, in the first day of its kind in the U.K.

National Voter Registration Day aims to sign up around 250,000 new voters in just one day, and the organisers of the campaign ‘Bite the Ballot’ believe that by holding an annual voter registration event they will be able to counter the decline in voters numbers at elections by encouraging new and future generations of young people to get involved in politics and play a part in shaping their own futures through the ballot box.

The campaign organisers have created free resources for individual, businesses as well as students and teachers to run registration events.

Rhoda Grant MSP said“The National Voter Registration day on the 5th of February is a great initiative aimed at encouraging more people to play their part in the democratic system.”

“In some respects the voter registration drive is more important than ever this year in Scotland as we go to the polls in September not just to elect a government for a term, but to decide the future of the country.”

“I hope community groups across the area will be motivated to hold an event. We need to motivate and engage not only young people to be more involved but also an older poll tax generation that has never voted.”

“I will be urging as many people as possible to get involved from local schools to community group and even local businesses, it is important that we get the message out to as many people as possible – get registered to vote!”

“This year voters will take part in elections to the European Parliament and the independence referendum, next year the General Election and 2016 the Scottish Parliament elections. It is a busy time in politics and we need to encourage more people to take part.”