Numbers game: Voting

The 2005 election saw a rise of only two per cent in voter turnout from 2001, but it was still lower than 1997. The turnout was found to be poorest among the younger groups - for the 18- to 24-year-old group, turnout fell from 39 per cent in the 2001 election to 37 per cent in 2005. But regular non-voting by the 18 to 24 age group since 1992 highlights fears that voting patterns are carried through into later elections as young people become older voters. Younger groups were less likely to view voting as a civic duty.

Reducing the voting age and moving to a registration process based on individuals, not households, would help to engage young people in the electoral process, said a spokeswoman for YMCA England: "Many young people miss out on becoming registered in the first place because of leaving home early. The fact that the Government has chosen to keep the system of household registrations in the electoral administration bill, rather than individuals, will make it harder for homeless young people to get on the electoral register."