Thursday 30-05-2024 - 09:15

A UK General Election will take place on Thursday, 4th July - and there are things you must do to be able to vote! - Check you're eligible to vote, register to vote, and get a valid photo ID.

But first, why should you care? Students and Apprentices make up 10% of the voting population - you have the power to make yourself heard at a national level! General Elections usually only happen every five years - if you don’t vote, you’ll likely have to wait another half decade to have your say.

Your vote could make all the difference in deciding who gets elected as your local MP (Member of Parliament), which could decide the Political Party that controls the Government (or not), and the Party Leader who becomes our next Prime Minister.

Check you are eligible to vote 🌍

British, Irish, and qualifying Commonwealth citizens who are residents of the UK are allowed to vote in General Elections. This means qualifying international students are eligible to vote - qualifying Commonwealth countries include India, Pakistan, Australia, Canada, and many more. Visit the Can I Vote website to see if you are eligible to vote.

Register to vote 📝

You must register to vote and it takes less than five minutes - you can do this on the UK Government's Register to Vote website.

You need to provide your name, date of birth, nationality, address, and National Insurance number. Don't panic if you do not know your National Insurance number - you can get assistance finding it on the UK Government's Find Your National Insurance Number webpage - and if you are eligible to vote but don't have a national insurance number, do not worry, you can still register without one.

You can register to vote at both your term-time address and your home address - but you can only vote at one!

The deadline to register to vote in this General Election is 23:59 on Tuesday, 18th June 2024.

Get your Voter ID 🪪

The rules around voting in UK elections have changed - you'll need a valid form of ID to vote - this can be a Passport, Driving Licence, Blue Badge, PASS card (like CitizenCard), and Voter Authority Certificate.

You must present the original document at the polling station - you cannot show a picture or photocopy of it - you will be turned away.

You can find a list of acceptable IDs on the Electoral Commission website - and it includes a list of valid passports and driving licenses. Your UWTSD Student ID does not count as a valid photo ID in UK elections.

Don't have a valid ID? Don't panic - the National Union of Students has you covered with a free CitizenCard you can claim.

Claim a free CitizenCard 👈

You can claim your free CitizenCard, which you can use to vote in the General Election, by using code 'NUS'. The CitizenCard is a PASS ID and you can use it at polling stations in England, Scotland, and Wales - you cannot use it for voting in Northern Ireland. You need to claim your Citizen card by Thursday 20 June.

Poll Card and Voting

Once you're registered to vote, you'll receive a Poll Card before voting day - which includes the location of your Polling Station. You can only vote at the Polling Station listed on your card - you do not have to take your poll card with you, you can vote without it. If you have not received a poll card but think you should, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.

When you arrive at the Polling Station you will need to give your name and address to staff inside the polling station.

You'll need to give your name, and address, and show your photo ID when you arrive at the Polling Station. Once this is done, you'll be given a ballot paper which lists the candidates you can vote for.

Are you away on the 4th of July 😱

Don't panic - you've got options. You might be on your summer holidays or want to vote at your term-time address instead of your home. If this is the case, you can apply for a postal vote (The deadline is 17:00 on Wednesday, 19th June) or apply for a proxy vote (The deadline is 17:00 on Wednesday, 26th June).