Voter registration: A declaration that you will be heard

On the day we launched our national voter registration campaign it rained, and continued to rain for the next four hours. But it wasn’t nearly enough to dampen the spirits of the hundred or so individuals who turned up to support OBV's launch.

Giant golf umbrellas were handed so that those who attended could make their public declaration without getting drenched, that our communities demand to be listened to.

Everybody loved the bus: The OBV eXpress; its illustrations and the high tech stuff on-board that can register to vote up to 30 people at any one time.

For the many activists, and voter registration partners such as Ellen Clifford from Operation Disability Vote, and Michael Wilkes from the British Chinese Project, who came to give support and be inspired, will now go back to their own areas and constituencies, to continue their voter registration drives.

But whilst I enjoyed the unity and camaraderie of good people coming together to change our world, there was one moment that summed up our work at OBV, past present and future.

Towards the end of the day a young man came up to the bright bus to inquire what was going on in Windrush Sq, Brixton. I told him we are ‘empowering Black people through voter registration’. “Can I come and have a look,” the young man enquired? Some people around me felt a little uneasy, the young man looked a little dishevelled, and a little disoriented. “Yes brother come on board and have a look around.”

When he came on board we talked, about life and his own challenges. He told me he’d never been registered to vote, and that his accommodation circumstances were at times patchy, but would I help him to register.

We sat in front of the computer, and together went through the form. Despite his appearance the young man was extremely bright and was able to remember his National insurance number off by heart.

As we reached the final page where it said; Press continue to finish form, I looked at him and asked; “Are you good with this?”. “You bet”, was his reply. And with a click of the button he was registered vote.

As he left the bus we embraced as brothers do.

“Thank you man”, he said, “It’s great what you are doing for Black people”. I replied in kind, “Thank you too, if we all play our role we’ll win this fight."

A wonderful day was done. Today we start again in Barking and Dagenham, tomorrow Ilford. The weeks ahead the OBV eXpress bus will travel the rest of UK.

Get on board.

Simon Woolley