The UK General Election will take place on Thursday 4 July.
Students make up 10% of the UK voting population. Now is your time to get our voices heard.
In the 2019 General Election, more than 15 million people did not vote, and younger voices were significantly underrepresented. So, don’t waste your vote – it will shape your own future.
Are you ready to have your say?
- What is General Election?
The general election is to elect Members of Parliament – or MPs – to the House of Commons. The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies, and each of these elects one MP to represent local residents at Westminster. On election day, every registered voter in each constituency vote for their preferred candidate in their local polling station. You can also vote by post in advance. The candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for that area.
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The timeline for the UK General Election:
18th June: Voter Registration Deadline
19th June, 5pm: Deadline to apply for a Postal Vote
26th June: Deadline to apply for Voter ID (Voter Authority Certificate)
26th June, 5pm: Deadline to apply for Proxy Vote
4 July, 7am -10pm: Vote in the General Election
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Check your eligibility to vote.
canivote.org.uk
You do not have to be a UK citizen to vote in UK elections: British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK can vote in General Elections. Qualifying Commonwealth countries include India, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Canada + more.
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www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Where will you be on 4th July? You can be registered to vote at your term-time address and your home address - but you can only vote once.
It takes just 5 minutes + you’ll need your national insurance number (What is your national insurance number?)
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- What is Postal Vote?
If you can't make it to a polling station, you can apply for a postal vote. If you do, before the general election, you’ll get a letter with a ballot paper in. You’ll need to make sure you’ve made your choice and sent the ballot paper by post by a certain deadline
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Get voter ID by 26 June.
You’ll need a valid form of photo ID such as a passport or driving license to vote in the UK General Election. University ID does not count.
If you do not have a valid form of ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (Deadline: 26th June)
or
Claim your FREE Citizen Card (usually £18) for students and young people (Deadline: 20th June)
For trans and gender nonconforming people, the introduction of photo Voter ID may present barriers to participating in election. If you are unsure what the Elections Act (2022) means for you, make sure you read the advice for trans people to ensure you can cast your vote in the upcoming elections.
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Understand who you can vote for in your area.
whocanivotefor.co.uk
Chichester University is unique as it is split across two constituency boundaries, in other words students living in Chichester will vote for a different set of candidates that those living in Bognor!
Do you research, read manifestos, attend hustings and debates!
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- What is a Proxy Vote?
If you're unable to vote in person, you can appoint someone to vote on your behalf. You have to register to do this beforehand and decide who you want to do your vote.
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You can vote in-person at a polling station (7am-10pm), by proxy (if you cannot get to the polling station on voting day you can request for someone to vote on your behalf) or by post.
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- Why should I vote?
Voting gives you the power to decide how the UK is run. The MPs you help to elect will be making decisions on issues that you care about, including NHS, housing, education and the environment. The largest party majority typically forms the next government, shaping the political direction of the country by being the party that proposes and enacts legislation.