Hack the Vote
Event Information
Description
Hack the Vote is a hackathon on the theme of voter registration and engagement. It is organised by concerned citizens with the help of London First, a non-profit.
Under 25's have the lowest registration rate and turnout of any demographic. The recent move to individual electoral registration has been highlighted by both the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Reform Society as likely to disproportionately disenfranchise young people and students.
In a little over three months the European referendum will take place, a vote that will hugely affect this generation's future. As a national vote, the turnout of students and young people will be all the more important. Unlike at a General Election, in a referendum,without geographic distribution, every vote counts.
In June 2016 this generation will have a chance to have its say. Yet, if you are an 18 year old who has never voted, doesn't respond to letters or, even have a landline phone, you are far less likely to realise this. Research tells us that normal contact methods consistently fail to reach you. Young people aren't failing to vote because they don't care. They're failing to vote even though they care; because we don't reach them and show them how.
We want to change this, and need your help to make it happen at an event on the 23rd and 24th of April in the City of London. Interactive micro-campaigns are much more effective than leaflets here, let's use our skills to hack the problem.