Today Ukie is launching a flash campaign calling upon all game players to register to vote.
The next major election will be on May 23rd, where UK voters will be able to elect Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to represent their views on the European stage.
But a report this week showed that nearly 8 million people in the UK are not registered to vote in these elections. On top of this, the Electoral Commission frequently finds that younger people (those under 35) are one of least likely groups to be registered to vote in general.
With 85% of UK adults under 35 stating that they frequently play games, there is a real possibility here that the voice of the players is not being included in the democratic process.
As a result, they are missing out on influencing the development of policies which could affect them in the future, both domestically and in Europe.
That’s why we’ve launched #GetInTheGame2019 to encourage players and fans to register to vote - and we think games companies with access to their communities could help spread the message.
The aim of the campaign is purely to increase democratic participation in the UK by asking games businesses in the country to motivate their players and communities to register to vote. We won’t be telling players how to use their vote, only that they should use it.
The hope is that this will encourage people from across the age range – including young adults – to have their say both on the 23rd May and in future elections.
Once they’ve registered for the European elections, they will automatically be registered for other democratic votes, such as a General Election, in the future as well.
So, how can you get involved in the campaign? We recommend helping out by:
- Spreading awareness of registering to vote or let us know why you think it’s important to register to vote by using the hashtag #GetInTheGame2019
- Sharing our #GetInTheGame2019 European elections mini-guide
- Promoting material related to this campaign through your own social media channels
- Creating promotional assets featuring the #GetInTheGame2019 logo and distributing these to players through your community channels
- Encouraging influencers on YouTube, Twitch and other channels to mention #GetInTheGame2019
- Encouraging games media to get involved too
You can access the assets here. If you have any questions about the campaign, you can email Grace Shin for more information.
So get out there and help your fans to get in the game in time for this year’s European and all furture elections!