Alliance releases survey results on voting intentions at launch of new election website
12 February 2010
An overwhelming majority of young evangelical Christians are planning to vote in the upcoming General Election, the Evangelical Alliance has revealed as it launches its election website.
Eighty-one percent of 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed at Soul Survivor's 'Momentum' event last summer said they plan to vote - more than double the percentage of people in the same age bracket who voted at the last general election.
Evangelical Alliance Parliamentary Officer Daniel Webster said: "Young evangelicals are going to buck the trend and take part in the coming election. Rather than being turned off from politics, these findings show that young adults care about a wide range of issues and will take these views to the ballot box.
"Our website, with its summaries of the main parties' policies, will help them and other voters as they decide how to place that all-important vote."
The Evangelical Alliance's new General Election 2010 website aims to give information to voters about how a general election works, a brief introduction to each of the major parties and an outline of what their policies are on a range of issues. It also gives local churches advice on how they can play their part by holding hustings events.
Steve Webb, MP for Northavon, said: "Some of the liveliest debates that I take part in at election time are organised by the local churches. It is important for Christians to get informed and get involved at election time, and this is an excellent way for churches to reach out to people in their local area at the same time.
"I would encourage local churches to get together and make sure that hustings are taking place across their constituency."
The Alliance's election website can be found at http://www.eauk.org/public-affairs/elections/index.cfm. The site promotes no particular party, but encourages Christians to engage in the political process.
Ends
Notes to editors:
The Evangelical Alliance, formed in 1846, is the largest body serving evangelical Christians in the UK, and has a membership including denominations, churches, organisations and individuals. The mission of the Evangelical Alliance is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. According to a Tearfund survey (Churchgoing in the UK, 2007), there are approximately 2 million evangelical Christians in the UK. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.
Ipsos-Mori estimated that turnout for the 18-24 age bracket in the 2005 general election was 37%, a decline of 2% from 2001 and the only age range to see turnout fall. http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oItemId=2252&view=wide
The Evangelical Alliance survey of young people currently only includes answers from people who attended Soul Survivor's Momentum event for students and people in their 20s. The Alliance will be broadening the survey over the next few months to include a more representative sample.
Of 724 respondents, 588 (81%) declared that they intended to vote in the General Election.
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