Let's tackle the youth democracy crisis, now

In February 1974, 70% of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the General Election. Fast forward to today, and our democracy is in crisis. Only half of the 5.6 million young people in the UK are registered to vote. Why? Because for millions of citizens, especially young people, ‘politics’ is seen as out of touch, complicated and unrepresentative.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The Voter Registration Bill will revolutionise our system of democratic engagement.

1. The Bill will empower Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take active steps to increase the shockingly low numbers of young, disabled or ethnic minority voters on the register. This includes organising at least one voter engagement session per year, per school or college.

2. The Bill will allow people to simply tick a box asking to be registered when filling in forms such as applying for a passport or driving licence - making registering to vote easy, simple and painless.

The Voter Registration Bill is a golden opportunity to ensure that as many people as possible are registered to vote in advance of the 2015 General Election, and beyond.