#REGAFRIEND A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN FROM THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE. GET INVOLVED. EMBARGOED UNTIL 19 MARCH
THEIR VOTE MATTERS Loads of young people are registered to vote and ready to have their say in May. But with the registration deadline just around the corner, there s still some work to be done. So we re giving one final push to round up all the registration stragglers with. We have NUS one of the biggest youth organisations in the UK signed up to support. They represent the interests of seven million students through 600 student unions. 1
#REGAFRIEND The registration deadline is 20 April and yet 30 per cent of young people aren t registered to vote. With your help, we can change all that. Basically, if less than half of the young people that are already registered get just one of their mates to register, it will make a difference. And young people will have a say in the May General Election. So we re asking young people to round up the registration stragglers with. All they need to do is find a friend who isn t registered and get them to do so. Then, share a picture of themselves and their newly registered friend making the voter cross mark on social media. And to help spread the word, simply tag their friend, use the hashtag, and include a link to the registration page. Getting just one mate to register means power to more young people. IT S IN YOUR HANDS As you can see, it s super easy. But to get this going, we need you! We re asking you to promote and support the campaign for five weeks through your website, newsletter, social media and any other digital channels you might have. 2
THE ACTION WE WANT TO SEE We re hoping that, with a little help from you, social media channels will soon be flooded with posts from young people who have encouraged their friends to register to vote. A bit like this: Theo 1 day ago Alice 2 days ago Emily now Dan Jess Theo I ve just got Marco to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 20 Feb 9:00pm I ve just got Lily to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at: https://www.gov. and I ve just got Tasha to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 9 Jan 9:00pm Paula @Pike_Tench 19 Feb 7:00pm I ve just got Hannah to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn to get one friend to register to vote at: https://www.gov.uk/register-tovote and when you re done share a photo of you both making the voter cross, tag yourselves, and spread the word! I ve just got Liss to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at: https://www.gov. and I ve jus a say i registe When the vo #RegA I ve just got Catherine to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www. gov. Tasha 3 days ago o we ll have e friend to egister-toto of you both and spread the we ll have a say r-to-vote I ve just got Jess to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at: https://www.gov. and Marco I ve just got Camilla to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www. gov. 19 Feb 9:00pm James I ve just got Kyle to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 19 Feb 7:00pm 20 Feb 8:19pm Theo 3 days ago I ve just got Tasha to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at: https://www.gov. and I ve just got Dan to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at: https://www.gov. and Jess 4 days ago Hayley I ve just got Lily to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 19 Feb 5:00pm Jenna 4 days ago Sanjay I ve just got Laura to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 19 Feb 9:00pm Rees I ve just got Sanjay to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 19 Feb 7:00pm Alice 4 days ago Lily I ve just got Ginelle to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at: https://www.gov. and 19 Feb 7:00pm Laura I ve just got Rees to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. http://www.gov. 18 Feb 7:00pm I ve ju in May #RegA 19 Feb I ve ju in May #RegA 19 Feb Claire 2 days ago I ve ju a say i regist When the vo #RegA
MAKING IT HAPPEN It s so easy. Everything you need to encourage young people to is here in the next few pages. And it all fits neatly into the timeline. MAKING IT PART OF YOUR CAMPAIGN It may be that you re running your own campaign to encourage young people to vote. So has been designed in a way that means it can easily become part of your established campaign. You can adapt all the suggested copy in this guide, to incorporate your campaign messaging and hashtags. Plus, all the images can be used to create communications in your own campaign s look and feel. It doesn t stop at design, if you already have young people campaigning in this area why not ask them to be ambassadors for. This is how NUS have integrated with their #GenerationVote campaign. 4
#REGAFRIEND TIMELINE This is just a guide. Promote the campaign by talking about it as much as you can, through lots of different channels. The more activity there is, the better. Over the next few pages, you ll find all the content you need. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MONDAY 20 APRIL Thursday 19 March Monday 23 March Monday 13 April Friday 17 April BIG LAUNCH CAMPAIGN REMINDER ONE WEEK TO GO THREE DAYS LEFT Upload information about on your website. Add the campaign image to your website homepage. Add the campaign image to your Facebook page header. Share launch posts through all your social media channels. Make sure everyone in your organisation encourages a friend to register to vote. And shares a photo on their own social media channels. Share a campaign reminder Share a social media post Final campaign push, post through all your social explaining that there is three days before the media channels. only one week left until the registration deadline. registration deadline. THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN We want to see all your digital channels flooded with campaign information. QUICK COMMUNICATIONS CHECKLIST Website Facebook header image Newsletter Twitter On social media, keep a look out for any posts. Like, share, favourite, Facebook post Instagram and retweet as many as you possibly can, to encourage even more young people to register to vote and spread the campaign as far as possible. 5
WEBSITE THURSDAY 19 MARCH BIG LAUNCH The first step is to make sure young people can find out all about. Get started by including this copy on your website. WEBSITE COPY LONG VERSION This includes everything young people need to know about how to take part, so give it a special place on your website. WEBSITE SHORT COPY This is ideal as an introduction on your website homepage. Get just one friend to register to vote so you can all have a say. And be heard. Chances are, you re already registered to vote. 70 per cent of young people are. But without the other 30 per cent you re going to have trouble getting heard. So let s round up the stragglers. If you get just one friend to register to vote, you can have your say. And politicians will have to listen to you. Chances are, you re already registered to vote and ready to have your say in the May General Election. But there are some stragglers, and we need your help to get them involved. This copy can also be used in all of your newsletters, emails or magazines. Get the word out there as many ways as possible. So go out there and get one mate to register. Post a picture of you both on social media making the voter cross mark. Share your photo with the world using the hashtag and this message: I ve just got [insert your friend s name here] to register to vote so we ll have a say to vote at www.gov.. When you re done, share a photo of you both making the voter cross, tag yourselves and spread the word! Or if you re posting on Twitter: I ve just got [insert your friend s name here] to register to vote so we ll have a say in May. Now it s your turn. www.gov. What are you waiting for? Remember, getting one mate to register means power to more young people. 6
SOCIAL MEDIA THURSDAY 19 MARCH: BIG LAUNCH One of the easiest ways to spread the word about is, of course, through your social media channels. To make it even easier, here are some suggested posts. Remember to include the URL that links to the campaign information on your website FRIDAY 17 APRIL: THREE DAYS TO GO For the final push, share a post three days before the registration deadline. Facebook There are only three days left to register to vote if you want to vote in the next General Election. Tell your friends to get to it. [insert URL] Facebook Lots of you are already registered to vote, and have your say in May! But there are some stragglers, and we need your help to get them registered. [insert URL] Twitter Only three days left to register to vote. Get your friends to do it now. [insert URL] Twitter Ask your friends to join you and have their say in the May General Election. [insert URL] MONDAY 23 MARCH: CAMPAIGN REMINDER One week in, share a little campaign reminder. Facebook There are still plenty of young people out there that haven t registered to vote yet. Do your mates a favour, tell them to register today. [insert URL] Example of NUS Facebook post. Twitter Get a friend to register to vote so you can have your say on 7 May [insert URL] MONDAY 13 APRIL: ONE WEEK TO GO There s not long to go until the deadline, so remind young people about Facebook There s only one week left until the voter registration deadline. Round up your straggler mates while there s still time. [insert URL] Twitter One week until the voter registration deadline. Get one friend to register to vote today. [insert URL] 7
ADDING A PICTURE Here are eight images for you to use when promoting. They re great to accompany the information on your website; use as a Facebook cover image; or to make your launch posts on social media more eye-catching. 8
SO IT S OVER TO YOU We can t wait to see all the posts you generate. Getting politicians listening to young people is as easy as 1, 2, 3: 1. Flood all your digital channels with information so everyone in your network knows about it. 2. Like, share, favourite, and retweet as many posts as you possibly can, to spread the word far and wide. 3. Start by getting one of your friends to register. And get all the young people that work for your organisation to do the same. Don t forget to share your posts online. Big thanks to you. JUST ASK If you ve got any questions about get in touch with Hayley Cameron in the Electoral Commission partnerships team at 23red. hayley.cameron@23red.com 020 7843 5915 9