Register to Vote

Aim

All students are registered to vote by 26th November so they are eligible to vote in the General Election on the 12th December.

Outcomes

  1. Make sure you understand the importance of being registered to vote
  2. Ensure you have the information you need to register to vote so that you know how

Progress

  • Social media

    Posts are going out on social media to remind you to register!

  • Over half of you say you’re registered!

    We put a poll out during the week the General Election was called and over half of you said you were registered at your current address! Great work, make sure you tell your friends to register too.

  • We have put posters up encouraging you to resister

    Make sure you keep an eye out for them over campus.

There is a General Election on the 12th December. This is a chance for you to decide who you want to be running the country for the next few years.

A third of voters between 18-34 are not registered to vote. Yup, this is either you or one of your mates. If you’re not registered you can’t vote, so do something about it!

Got 5? Whether it’s while you’re waiting for your lecture to start, waiting for the kettle to boil, or doing your laundry, you only need five minutes to register to vote online.

It’s easy. Just visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Your vote matters and could make all the difference to your future.

If you want to get involved with the campaign and encourage others to register to vote you can join the RUSU General Election Voter Registration Facebook group to find out how.

Who are we electing in this election?

Voters will elect 650 MPs who sit in the UK (Westminster) Parliament, and determine the future UK Government. MPs are elected to a five-year term, with remits covering UK-wide matters such as Brexit, other foreign and defence policy, immigration rules and social security, as well as domestic issues in England that are devolved to the Nations, such as education, housing, health and transport. For more information on Westminster and MPs take a look at the official Parliament website.

Why should I vote?

It’s essential that young people get out there and vote to make sure their voices are represented. Here's why young people should vote.

When is polling day?

Polling day will be on 12th December 2019 and polling stations will be open 07:00-22:00.

When is the deadline to register to vote?

The deadline to register to vote for this election is midnight on 26th November. You can register to vote online.

What do I need to register to vote?

You will need your National Insurance number as well as your current address (term time or home).

How do I register for a postal vote and is there a deadline?

To register for a postal vote you must complete an application to vote by post and return it to your electoral form registration office by 17:00 on 26th November. You can find your electoral registration office at the Electoral Commision website.

How do I know what constituency I am in?

To find out which constituency (an area of the country represented by one Member of Parliament) you can search the Parliament website.

Should I vote at uni or at home?

You can only vote once in the General Election. If you are unsure of whether to cast your vote at home or at uni you can use this online tool from The Guardian to find out where your vote could make more of a difference.

Additional information for disabled students and trans students

There are particular issues that some groups of students will face when it comes to voting in this general election. Stonewall has a helpful guide to some of the voter registration issues affecting trans people and solutions to them.

All polling stations will be wheelchair accessible and will have a polling booth adapted for wheelchair users. Large print versions of ballot papers are available in every polling station, along with aids to enable blind voters to mark their ballot papers without help. If a disabled student requires support to complete a ballot paper on their own, they can take a friend or relative to the polling station to assist with this. The presiding officer at the polling station can also help to fill in the ballot paper. While these measures should help most students to vote, if they do not want to go to the polling station we suggest that you advise them to either register for a postal vote or for a proxy voter.

What is going on?

Politics can be confusing at the best of times, and even more so when there is an election coming up! See what Simple Politics have to say to help you understand.

Myth busting

Here are some facts about registering to vote which you may not have known!

You can register to vote at 2 addresses

As a student you can register to vote at 2 addresses. Just select “I am a student with a home and term-time address”. This means when it comes to it you have the option to choose where to vote.

Remember you can only vote at one address!

It only takes 5 minutes to register to vote

As long as you have your National Insurance Number to hand it only takes you 5 minutes to register to vote. A perfect job to do while waiting for your friends in the library, boiling an egg for breakfast or defrosting your dinner in the microwave!

You can register for a postal vote

If you are worried you might not be around when an election happens you can apply for a postal vote. That way you can send off your vote to ensure you still have your voice heard.

You don’t have to be on the open register

You can register to vote and still keep your information private. Just select “No. I don’t want my name and address on the open register”

You can register to vote if you are a UK, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen living in the UK

To check if you are eligible to vote check out the Gov.uk website:

Once you are registered at an address you don’t need to register again

If you have already registered to vote at an address you do not need to register again for every election. But remember that every time you move you will need to register again.

Video

Contacts

To register to vote, visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Where did the idea come from?

Being registered to vote gives you power; it gives you influence and a stake in society. Lots of students are moving into the area or moving into a new address for the new year and unless you have registered to vote at your new address you will not be able to vote locally in any upcoming elections.