The Agency’s Voter Registration Project
At The Agency, we're passionate about empowering young people to make a positive impact in their communities. In May 2024 we introduced, the Voter Registration Project - a testament to this commitment. With new funding from the Democracy Fund, we expanded our efforts to ensure that everyone, especially those from underrepresented communities, has/had a voice in our democracy.
The Manchester team out and about speaking to members of the public.
Our Mission
The goal of our Voter Registration Project was simple: increase voter participation among Black and Asian communities, and empower young people from predominantly marginalised and lower socioeconomic backgrounds to lead these efforts. This project sought to foster a more inclusive democratic process.
Why It Matters
Voting is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. However, many people, particularly in Black and Asian communities, remain underrepresented in the voter rolls.
Our project focused on:
Increasing Black and Asian Voter Registrations
Empowering Young Change-Makers
Looking Forward
Over the past 4 months, we've registered over 450 people by engaging directly with individuals in Manchester and London. Building trust quickly, especially in face-to-face interactions, proved crucial. People, although initially apprehensive about providing personal data, were often more receptive to conversations about voter registration, when they were speaking to people from similar backgrounds.
We've also learned the importance of addressing disillusionment with politics among young people. By focusing on extensive conversations and highlighting the practical benefits of voting, such as boosting credit scores, we've been able to engage more effectively. We have held all these conversations in non-partisan ways, we want people to engage with the democratic process, rather than influence how they choose to vote.
London team excited about democracy!
Learnings and Impact
We have gathered all the data and are now able to share our Learning Report which you can read below.
Project Overview
The Agency Voter Registration Project was a community-driven initiative aimed at addressing the longstanding issue of underrepresentation among Black and Asian voters in the UK. The project was an extension of an earlier initiative and was delivered within a much tighter timeline due to the calling of the General Election. We had 2 teams of a minimum of 4 people going out in London each day, for a total of 14 days, while in Manchester a team of 4 went out at different times, fitting around their prior commitments.
The top challenges were engaging disinterested individuals, overcoming apathy, and identifying the right times and locations for maximum impact. The top successes were high engagement in the afternoon, high impact with social media activation, effective engagement strategies and the personal development of young people.
“This project helped my personal development by boosting my confidence - especially as a Black woman, taking up space and power.”
Objectives and Outcomes
Increase Black and Asian Voter Registrations:
The original goal of the project was to register at least 1,500 voters over 8 weeks, focusing on Black and Asian communities. Our team took to the streets, shopping centres and community hubs to engage potential voters. They managed to register 693 new voters, with 502 verified in person and an additional 191 self-reported. The project was condensed to deliver in 3.5 weeks. This shorter timeframe is reflected in the lower numbers.
Empower Young Change-Makers:
A key component of the project was to equip young people with the skills, confidence and support needed to lead voter registration projects. These agents came from the communities they were working in. They received comprehensive training that included resilience-building, communication strategies and leadership development. This extra support and training were noted in the evaluation sessions, building upon the learning in the first pilot.
The project promoted personal growth that we were not anticipating. For example, Eunice, the experience was transformative. She noted, “This project helped my personal development by boosting my confidence - especially as a Black woman, taking up space and power.”
Embed and Share Successful Approaches:
The strategies and insights gained from this project were designed to embed across organisations, however, we are unable to share these within the short time frame of the project. Instead, we are compiling the learning into a guide that we are designing to be shared with 5 partner organisations across the UK. We are exploring how we can share this more widely, and have pitched to write an article for Arts Professional. All the young people we are engaging with the next cohort starting in September will be encouraged to register in Week 6 of The Agency programme.
“Being genuine helped engage people more effectively.”
What worked well?
Peer-to-Peer Engagement: One of the successes was the effectiveness of peer-to-peer engagement. By having young people who relate and understand the lived experiences of the communities they were engaging, we were able to build trust and foster meaningful conversations. Eunice emphasised the importance of this approach: “Being genuine helped engage people more effectively.” The authenticity and sincerity of our agents resonated with potential voters, making them more receptive. Eunice highlighted the importance of approaching people with energy and friendliness, avoiding judgment based on appearances, and maintaining an open mind. It was often the people who they did not think would be interested that ended up registering as a voter.
Building trust: All team members mentioned it took time to develop the relationships. Some people they spoke to were willing to chat but were unable to sign up that day. However, on a few occasions, people came back another day to ask questions about the registration. Using humour, unexpected questions and small talks was useful in disrupting patterns and engaging people in a new way. It is crucial to take the time to have a conversation, even when the primary goal is to get people to register to vote. Finding commonalities and showing genuine interest made people more receptive and interested in what they had to say. Eunice said ”Being genuine helped engage people more effectively. People should be seen as individuals and not just as potential statistics.”
Creative Approaches: The creativity of our agents was another success. They quickly learned that conventional approaches were not always effective, especially with individuals who were initially disengaged or sceptical. Instead, the team used inventive tactics to draw people in, linking voter registration to benefits like credit score improvements or getting to know more about them first. Shaniah shared, “Finding a creative way of keeping them in conversation... was really rewarding when you got those people to come around.” This creativity turned many challenging interactions into successful registrations.
Team Support & Confidence Building: The resilience of our agents was strengthened by the strong sense of community and support within the team. Weekly check-ins were essential spaces for sharing experiences, offering encouragement and finding new strategies. Shaniah highlighted the importance of this support network: “It was nice to work in a team… It is not about personal gain and how many we get individually.” This collective spirit was vital in maintaining motivation and drive.
Digital Integration: While in-person engagement was the core of this project, we tested by using our digital platforms to reach a wider audience. We amplified our reach, engaging those who we might not have met through face-to-face interactions. The reel shared on Instagram had the most views and shares of any we have published before.
“The most challenging thing was dealing with rejection... after a while, you don’t know how to react or keep a positive mindset.”
Areas for Improvement
Targeting and Timing: While the project covered a specific geographic area, the agents found that some locations and times were more successful than others. “People in the morning were hesitant, whereas in the afternoon there was a lot more engagement.” It is also important to note that, carrying a tablet when asking people to register often makes people assume they were selling something. Ahtasham’s advice was to, “Be creative in your approach. Be open-minded, look approachable.”
Handling Rejections: It is inevitable for the team to face rejections when approaching strangers. Dorcas mentioned, “The most challenging thing was dealing with rejection... after a while, you don’t know how to react or keep a positive mindset.” Providing additional training and support which focused on resilience and mental health helped agents to manage these challenges more effectively. The reluctance and at times apathy of the people in the community was related to people not feeling their voice mattered.
Key Barriers to Registration
Refugee Status: Some people said they are refugees so they are not eligible to vote.
Political Apathy: Many people were uninterested in politics and they did not want to be involved.
Political Inefficacy: Some individuals believe they have a minimal impact in politics and one vote does not make a difference in a large election.
White Privilege: Some believe that they system was rigged to advantage the white or rich people.
Looking to integrate Voter Registration efforts into your own programme?
We’d love to share more about what we've learned from our Voter Registration Project. We’re open to arranging a conversation to discuss our strategies, insights, and the practical steps that have helped us engage young people in this critical area. Get in touch via email hello@wearetheagency.co
This project is Funded by the UK Democracy Fund, a Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust initiative.