In the general election of 2001 voter turnout reached an all-time low of 59%, and some think that number could fall below 55% this year. A recent poll of 3,000 O2 active users, aged 18-24, revealed that only 38% intend to vote. In an attempt to boost voting, 02 has launched a site on its mobile portal to promote involvement in the democratic process, reports PublicTechnology.net.
The Electoral Commission sponsored site aims to raise awareness and understanding about the electoral process by providing O2’s 3.8 million active users with a comprehensive information resource for anyone with questions about the elections, especially first-time voters. This includes a complete guide to the election, with information on how to find your polling station, how to vote, how to obtain a postal vote and a host of frequently asked questions.
Becky Lloyd, Campaigns Manager at the Electoral Commission commented, “It’s enormously important that we try to reach the electorate through a variety of communication platforms. It’s important that we communicate with the younger electorate in particular through a medium with which they are comfortable and familiar and mobile phones are a good way of doing this.”
Unfortunately, this service can only be accessed via the active O2 web portal, which limits its influence. The new service can be accessed here.