Nearly 40% of young people do not intend to vote in the general election, according to a shock poll.
The Techne survey for Independent Media revealed that a quarter of 18 to 34-year-olds say they have not even registered to vote less than two weeks before the country goes to the polls.
The findings have led to fears that the main political parties are failing to do enough to engage with young people.
According to the poll, just 57% of 18 to 34-year-olds say they are registered and will vote on July 4.
That compares with more than 80% of those aged between 35 and 64.
A further 17% of young people say they are registered but will not vote, while 22% are not registered and have no plans to do so.
That means a total of 39% of young people say they will not vote in the election.
By contrast, only 17% of 35 to 44-year-olds, 16% of 45 to 54-year-olds and 15% of 55 to 64-year-olds say they won’t vote.
Leading pollster and Tory peer Lord Hayward described the figure of younger people not wanting to vote as “very high” for this stage of an election campaign.
He said: “That is what we would expect for a normal turnout in terms of people not voting. But you have to remember that among the 59% who say they will vote a sizeable number of them will also not vote.”
He added: “The problem is that 18 to 34-year-olds do not identify with any of the political parties or are particularly taken by the agenda.
“Another poll the other day by Savanta showed how young voters are abandoning the Labour Party.”