Young people are among those urged to register to vote as part of a week-long campaign to increase voter numbers.
Youngsters, renters, black, Asian and ethnic minorities from across the East End and rest of the capital are being called on to have their voices heard and register to exercise their right.
More than 20 per cent of people eligible to vote were not registered to do so in Tower Hamlets in 2017, according to a 2019 Cabinet Office report.
This week’s push seeks to improve voter numbers among groups identified as being under-represented in the campaign backed by City Hall and the political literacy organisation Shout Out UK.
TV host, Aaron Roach Bridgeman, who supports Shout Out UK, said: “The only way to positively contribute and impact your future as a young person is to have your voice, opinion and perspective heard on both a local and national level via our right and entitlement to vote.
“Register and be heard. You are the future, so it’s your right to be part of shaping it.”
London has one of the lowest voter registration rates in the UK, according to the Cabinet Office.
And one in three young Londoners are not registered to vote, a 2019 study by the Greater London Authority shows.
A total of 83pc of Londoners from a black ethnic background are registered, compared to 94pc of eligible white British Londoners.
In total, 85pc of social renters and 86pc of private renters are registered to vote, compared to 93pc of homeowners.
Among its benefits, registering to vote can impact people’s credit rating and ensure juries are diverse.
Matteo Bergamini, who founded Shout Out UK when he was 22, said: “As a Londoner, the pride I have in my city is in the diverse voices we have.
“So we at Shout Out UK couldn’t be more excited to be the delivery partner for the Greater London Authority’s London Voter Registration Week 2020.”
The week is being run with the help of the London Voter Registration Strategic Partnership which is made up of statutory bodies including the Electoral Commission and civil society organisations from across the capital.
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