Young people are not registering to vote in anything like the same numbers as last year, a campaign group has warned.
In the regulated campaign period for the 2024 local elections, nearly 168,000 applications were made by people under the age of 25. That figure in 2025 is so far only just above 50,000. Even accounting for a final day surge, applications by young people are at less than half their level twelve months ago (43%).
According to analysis by pressure group Unlock Democracy, a marked drop in applications to register to vote, while most stark among the under 25s, is reflected across all age groups. Total daily applications have practically halved compared to in the regulated period last year (53%), with overall numbers for 2025 also down on each of the last two years.
This news comes on the last day on which people can register to vote. While some of the drop-off in registrations can be explained by elections being held in fewer areas this year, campaigners are concerned that the huge number of unregistered voters, combined with widespread dissatisfaction at the state of politics, may see turnout levels fall even lower.
Tom Brake, Director of Unlock Democracy, commented: “It should be uncontroversial that in a democracy, we want as many people as possible to vote – and to be able to vote.
“In September 2023, the Electoral Commission estimated that up to 8 million potential voters in the UK were missing from the electoral register. Even an optimistic calculation would suggest nearly half that number remain unregistered – and likely many more.
“Young people, many of them students and/or dealing with insecure housing, are likely to make up a disproportionate share of unregistered voters. So, it’s concerning to see such a sharp decline in applications among young people.
“At a time when turnout is already worryingly low, and trending down, we should be making it easier for people to vote. Voter ID is one unnecessary barrier; the dysfunctional registration system is another. The government should introduce a system of automatic voter registration (AVR) that would allow electoral authorities to use existing data to verify and register voters automatically, saving both time and money, and ensuring the maximum number of eligible voters are able to cast their ballot.”
Elections 2025: Less than half as many young people have registered to vote for May elections
