By Nicky Detain and Lusiana Avalos
Mayoral elections are slowly approaching in London again, but the number of young voters is still at a low in the capital. What will the turnout be on May 2nd?
Current London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been serving the role since 2016, meaning that when he took office, most of the current university students had just turned 18, the legal voting age.
It’s fair to assume that they were largely not interested in voting, according to the numbers from the last general election.
According to the University of Birmingham, just 54% of those aged 18-24 voted in the 2019 general election, the lowest turnout of any age group.
Furthermore, the British Youth Council found last year that 71% of young people “don’t feel that political parties speak directly to young people in the lead-up to elections”.
However, when the current London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, was re-elected in May of 2021, his victory was less decisive than anticipated, as he only received 40% of the electorates’ vote on the first round of counting.
It wasn’t until a count of voters’ second preferences that Khan came out on top over Conservative rival Shaun Bailey, where Khan was left with 52% of the vote.
“Like, I don’t know anyone that’s actually voted for Sadiq Khan; he’s just there, so I don’t know,” said Leo, 19, a first-year media student at London Metropolitan University.
Leo says he intends to use his right to vote in the upcoming mayoral election, but when asked what he would say to those who don’t wish to use their vote, he responded: “I mean, it’s their choice, but yeah, you’ve got to encourage it.”
Arthur Cabral, 21, an international exchange student from Brazil, says “I think it’s quite important for voting because it shows your opinion. It’s your way to prove your point.”
When asked for his thoughts on those who choose not to vote, Arthur responded: “they can do it [not vote], but I don’t think it’s the wisest idea.”
Khan’s primary opponent in the upcoming election is Conservative candidate Susan Hall. Her main proposed policies include reversing the 2023 ULEZ expansion, ensuring more familiy homes are built within the nation’s capital, and investing £200 million into policing in an effort to reduce crime.
Meanwhile, Khan has promised to maintain the provision of free school meals if re-elected, but has not yet officially published an exhaustive manifesto for his campaign.
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