Coming of age voters swap ballot box for Facebook
Nottingham, 28 December 2011 —
New analysis from Experian
®
, the global information services company, has revealed that those people in the UK that turned 18 in 2011 are twice as likely to be on Facebook as they are to register to vote.
Having completed its upload of all the available 2011 electoral roll data from over 460 local authorities Experian can reveal that 47.45 million people are now registered to vote in the UK. This represents an increase of 0.8 per cent compared to 2010.
Approximately 520,000 of those who registered to vote turned 18 in 2011 – just over 3 per cent fewer than in 2010 (approx 540,000). This is more than half of the number of 18 year old Facebook users (1.05 million[i]) in the UK during 2011.
Jonathan Westley, managing director of Experian’s Consumer Information Services business in the UK, commented:
“It’s intriguing to compare how many people registered to vote when they turned 18 in 2011 with the number of 18 year-olds using Facebook. It simply underlines why it’s important that organisations adopt new technologies to better serve this section of the population. It is also vital to educate this demographic on the importance of registering to vote and explore how social media engagement could be part of this.”
Information on the Electoral Register is one of a number of data sources used to validate the identities of applicants and improve the accuracy of lending decisions. When uploading electoral roll data, Experian applies a rigorous series of checks and processes to ensure that the information is secure, accurate, and fit-for-purpose.”
ENDS
Contact:
Chantal Heckford / Jennifer Comerford
Lansons Communications
020 7490 8828
chantalh@lansons.com
/
jenniferc@lansons.com
About Experian
Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 80 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 was US$4.2 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 41 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com