Students encouraged to register to vote, as numbers drop amid rule changes
updated on 05 February 2015
Students are urged to ensure that they don’t miss the chance to vote in the general election on 7 May 2015. The Electoral Commission, the National Union of Students (NUS), and various other academic bodies and political parties are cooperating to make sure that the voices of students aren’t lost in the general election.
Recent electoral registration changes mean that all individuals in a household must register individually. Prior to this, students in halls of residences were automatically registered in bulk. Research by the Labour Party and campaign group Hope not Hate reveals that registration has dropped by nearly 1 million when compared to 2014 figures. This is combined with the fact that students may find themselves with the casting vote in nearly 200 marginal seats (as revealed in a NUS survey from last year and the Guardian).
Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, said: “Statistics emerging from many areas on levels of voter registration give real cause for concern. There is a danger that we could see significant numbers of people turning up to vote on May 7 2015 and finding that they have been disenfranchised by not being registered. That would be seriously damaging to our democracy. […] Everyone involved in politics has a responsibility to make sure voters can have their say. The Young Greens and local Green parties are working hard on this issue, and I'd urge everyone, whatever their politics, to do the same.”
You must register by 20 April. Do it now or lose your democratic right to have your say!
