About Get the Vote Out!
The 1999 European Parliament elections saw turnout in the UK fall to just 24%, the lowest in all the EU. Less than three out of every ten eligible voters in the UK were involved in choosing the country's representatives in Europe. Disaffection is an issue that must be addressed. A healthy democracy relies on electoral participation to ensure the legitimacy of its institutions.
June 2004 saw a number of crucial elections to the European Parliament, to the GLA, for the Mayor of London and a number of local elections all across the UK. It's the people's opportunity to have their say and make their voices heard. The Institute for Citizenship believes that it is essential that people understand and appreciate that their democratic right to vote really can make a difference. Get the Vote Out! was organised to address this issue and campaign to ensure turnout is increased in next year's elections.
The People Get What The People Want?
Voting in elections means the people get their say in how things are run. If you like how things are run, then keep them that way by voting for things to stay the same. If you don't like things the way they are then you can change them by voting for something different.
Including And Involving Everyone
The campaign was a politically neutral campaign and we sought to involve everyone in campaigning to Get the Vote Out! Therefore was conducted in an all inclusive, all embracing manner. Get the Vote Out! is supported by the Electoral Commission and the UK Office of the European Parliament.
How Do These Various Elected Bodies Affect People On The Street?
The European Parliament, Greater London Assembly, Mayor of London and local authorities all have power to make important decisions that affect people. In fact many would argue that these bodies have increasing influence over our everyday lives. It is therefore more important than ever that people vote to elect the representatives of their choice to these powerful bodies.
Help Get The Vote Out!
If you think voting matters then you can play your part and help with the campaign. Go to the
E-bulletin
Proportional Representation And The 2004 Elections
For many of the elections on Thursday 10 June 2004 every vote really will count. This is because the elections for the European Parliament, GLA and London Mayor all use some form of the system called Proportional Representation (PR). So in the European elections voters used one X to vote for the party or independent candidate of their choice and with Mayor elections people will get a 1st and 2nd choice. In the European Parliament elections, parties will win seats in proportion to their share of the total vote. So every vote really does count!