Write your council!
Do you believe every resident, no matter where they are from, should have the right to vote?
If the answer is yes! you can do something really simple to help make this a reality today.
Migrant Democracy Project visited Colchester on the 18th November 2024 to hold a Democracy Day of Action!
Migrant Democracy Project worked with 16 local authorities across the UK who have now passed our motion for votes for all residents. You can find the councils that have passed the motion here.
We need your help to make sure this motion passes everywhere! You can write to your elected councillors asking them to support the motion now!
(Please note that councils cannot change the legislation and extend the franchise. But their symbolic support is really important.)
How you can help:
Step 1: You must have a UK postcode.
Step 2: Head to WriteToThem
Step 3: Put in your postcode
Step 4: Choose “Write to all your councillors”
Step 5: Write your letter drawing ideas from this text, but in your own words:
“I am writing as a local resident who believes that every one, no matter where they are from, should have the right to vote.
At the next full council meeting, I want to see my elected representatives endorsing the right to vote for all residents in our community.
Migrants For Democracy is calling on the Government to extend the right to vote to all residents and I ask you to vote in favour of it.
At the moment, British, Irish, Commonwealth and some EU citizens can vote in local elections across the UK. In Scotland and Wales, all foreign residents, no matter their nationality, can also vote in local and devolved elections.
In England and Northern Ireland, however, over 1 million people are excluded from the franchise because of their nationality. Many are our neighbours, friends, colleagues here in the UK.
I don’t believe this is fair.
When we are charged our council tax, when we use local services, when we contribute to the local area, our nationality is not taken into consideration. So why should some people be excluded from the vote based on their nationality? People from countries like Syria, Ukraine, The US, and Brazil are part of our community just as much as anybody else. They should be able to have a say in democracy.
If you believe all your residents should be able to vote, I ask you to please vote in favour of this motion!
Thank you”
