Electoral Commission supports O2 WAP site to boost voting by 18-25 year olds

The portal is supported by the Electoral Commission as part of its strategy to promote involvement in the democratic process. The site includes a complete guide to the election including information on how to find your polling station, how to vote, how to obtain a postal vote and a host of frequently asked questions.

Voter turnout fell to an all time low of 59% in the 2001 General Election, and recent polls have suggested that turnout in the coming general election may fall even lower to 55 - 56%. Turnout was lowest in 2001 amongst the younger generation of voters. A recent poll of 3,000 O2 Active users, who tend to be aged between 18-24, revealed that only 38% intend to vote.

The portal aims to raise awareness and understanding about the electoral process by providing O2's 3.8 million O2 Active users with a comprehensive information resource for anyone with questions about the elections, especially first-time voters.

Becky Lloyd, Campaigns Manager at the Electoral Commission commented, "It's enormously important that we try to reach the electorate through a variety of communication platforms and this year, we are pleased to be working with O2 to develop a mobile information resource that answers many of the questions that potential voters might have before heading down to the polling station. It's important that we communicate with the younger electorate in particular through a medium with which they are comfortable and familiar and mobile phones are a good way of doing this."

Russ Shaw, Marketing Director at O2 said, "The Electoral Commission is trying to increase participation in the General Election. O2 Active provides a perfect mechanism for doing so by putting a simple tool for learning more into the pockets of 3.8 million people. This is just one way that this new, instant, always with you communications medium can be utilized by organisations and businesses trying to reach more people, particularly amongst younger audiences."

In November 2004, O2 hosted a live mobile phone text chat with Rt Hon Tony Blair MP. Members of the public were able to submit questions in advance by text message or ask the Prime Minister a question in real time in a mobile phone chatroom, transmitted live from No 10 Downing Street. This was the first time that a UK Prime Minister has used mobile phone chatroom and text message technology to communicate directly with the public.

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The new service can be accessed via the O2 Active WAP portal at this link

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