There’s a flurry of activity in town halls and school gyms across the country as public buildings prepare to be temporarily transformed into pop-up polling stations for the General Election on Thursday 8 June. With just days to go, the gap between Labour and the Conservatives is looking closer than ever, with YouGov’s latest poll forecasting a narrow four-point lead over Labour by the Conservatives, although ICM charts an 11 point-difference.
Back in 2015, the general election turnout was 66.1% — the highest since Tony Blair’s 2007 Labour landslide victory — but this Thursday, political commentators are widely anticipating a turnout at least as low as 2001’s 59%. The lowest turnout among voters is predicted to be from young people: in 2015, 48% of 18-24 year olds voted, in comparison with 78% of people 65 or older.
In a bid to get you to the polling stations, we asked 12 creatives based around the UK for their help. Every day until Thursday we will be publishing posters commissioned for It’s Nice That by some of our brilliant creative network who we handed a simple brief: voting matters.
Today’s contributions come via illustrator and printmaker Gaurab Thakali, Riposte magazine’s art director Shaz Madani and illustrator Marlena Synchyshyn. Keep an eye out for more posters to be published every day.
If you have registered to vote, please exercise your right to. Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm. You do not need to bring your polling card. You can find out your nearest polling station here.
Gaurab Thakali
Marlena Synchyshyn