Woolwich Library is launching an initiative to boost the area’s poor turnout at elections – and to help locals deal with the Conservative government’s Voter ID rules.
The library will host masterclasses on voter registration, and will offer support for those who need to fill out forms to get ID cards needed to vote.
The next general election is almost certain to be held this year, while the mayoral election will be held on May 2.
The elections will be the first to be held in Greenwich under the Tories’ voter ID rules, which the government claims is needed to beat fraud. Official data shows there were no confirmed cases of impersonation at elections in 2022, the last year before the rules were introduced, anywhere in the United Kingdom. The Tories ave
Voters will need to show photo ID such as a passport or driving licence to vote at a poling station. Over 60s’ Oyster cards are accepted, but young people’s 18+ student Oyster cards are not. Voters without acceptable photo ID will need to apply for a special card. ID will not be required for postal voting.
Critics fear the rules will lead to even lower turnouts for elections, and would also make it harder to recruit polling station staff. At the 2022 council election, which did not have ID rules, the Woolwich Arsenal ward, where the library is based, had a turnout of only 29.2 per cent. Just 24.2 per cent of voters in the adjacent Woolwich Common ward cast their ballots.
Woolwich Library, which is one of the busiest in the country, will also work with the Woolwich Service Users Project (WSUP) as part of the project. It provides practical and emotional support to local residents around issues such as homelessness, financial hardship, mental health and addiction, as part of the project.
The library will support WSUP’s art therapy classes as part of the scheme. The classes will culminate in an art exhibition, based on the theme of democracy, in September.
A grant of £10,000 from the Amsterdam-based European Cultural Foundation‘s Europe Challenge programme will fund the project. The scheme is one of only 55 around Europe to have been given funding, and is the only one in London.
Patrick Malone, the project manager for GLL, which runs the library, said: “A healthy society is built upon high democratic involvement and the Europe Challenge Programme funding will help us to tackle the immensely important issue of low voter engagement amongst certain demographic groups.”
André Wilkens, director of the European Cultural Foundation added: “Libraries are more than just houses for books; they are the lifeblood of European communities. They provide safe spaces, foster education, combat social inequalities, and build resilient societies.
“The Europe Challenge is on the frontline of breathing new life into European libraries. I am excited to see so many communities and libraries across Europe taking creative action to solve challenges and improve social and environmental well-being”.
To apply for a voter ID card, visit gov.uk.