A bus is stopping in Liverpool this week to encourage more people to register to vote.
In the run-up to the General and local elections Operation Black Vote has organised a voter registration bus, the OBV eXpress, to tour the country and increase registration from under-represented groups.
Operation Black Vote is working with a number of other organisations including the British Chinese Project, Bite the Ballot and Operation Disability Vote to increase the number of people eligible to vote
The OBV eXpress will be in Liverpool ONE (outside John Lewis) from 9.30 am on Wednesday 11 March.
Its visit has been organised by Operation Black Vote in conjunction with Liverpool City Council’s Elections Office.
The bus is a state- of- the-art vehicle with an IT suite containing 12 computer stations where people can register to vote online. Helpers will be on hand to answer queries.
Information will also be available about community activities and local and national politics.
Simon Woolley, Director of Operation Black Vote, said: “I’m pleased our voter registration bus is coming to Liverpool, a city with a long history of diversity. The bus will encourage and enable minority communities, younger people and all those who are under-represented on the electoral register no matter what their background, to reclaim democracy and be heard by our politicians.”
Ged Fitzgerald, Liverpool’s returning officer, said; “We want all people who are eligible to vote to register to do so. With the introduction of individual electoral registration there may be people who do not realise that they have to register and have not done so.
“There are groups who are under-represented and we want to give them every opportunity to register – it is a very simple process and the OBV eXpress will give potential voters another opportunity to make sure they can vote. While it is encouraging members of under-represented groups such as the black and ethnic minority to register anybody can get on board to do so.
“If you do not register to vote you miss out on the opportunity to have your voice heard so don’t miss the bus on registration.”
The visit of the OBV eXpress has been partly funded by the Cabinet Office as part of the drive to encourage voter registration.
