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Politics is arguably more important than ever. The two leading parties in the UK, the Conservative party and the Labour party, are offering two different approaches to policy and there are also lots of other parties offering different ideas and policies.
While a general election is typically called every five years, the government can decide to call one early.
General elections aren’t the only type of election held in the UK, so it’s important to be prepared for any local elections that might come up. Voting is really important and it’s a way to make your voice heard at nationally as well as locally.
You’ve got to be registered in order to vote, so in case you don’t know how to go about doing that, we've put together this handy guide.
1. Register to vote
Registering to vote isn’t only important because it means you’re able to participate in elections, it’s also a legal requirement. The first thing to do is to check if you’re registered (if you’re unsure). It’s super easy to check if you’re registered by using the government’s register to vote page. If you’re sure you already are, then great! If you’re not, it might be worth first registering at your home address if you’ll be spending your holidays there.
As a student, however, it’s natural that you’d want your voice to be heard in your uni town as you spend a lot of time there. But you’ll want to stay registered at home so you can vote there if an election happens to fall out of term-time or when you’re on a visit.
Fortunately, the government has a solution for this. If you’re already registered to vote at your home address, you can register at your student address if they’re in different local authority areas. It’s important to note that you must update your address when you move, and you can only vote once in a general election even if you’re registered at two addresses. It’s election fraud if you vote in two different locations in one election.
In an election, you can opt to vote at whichever registered address you prefer. The deadline to register to vote for the 2024 general election is 11:59PM on 18 June.
Read more at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
TOP TIP: register for postal voting
Elections can be called at any time of year and can also be announced at quite short notice. If you're unsure where you'll be on voting day, make sure you register both at home and at uni so you can vote in-person regardless of where you are, but you can also register for a postal vote.
You register for postal voting by filling in the form on this page (full instructions on what to do with it are on the form). You'll then be sent a ballot form in the post nearer the date of the election, which you need to fill in and post back. If you vote via post, you won’t be able to vote in-person as well, as this is – you guessed it – another form of election fraud.
2. Work out where you stand
Deciding who to vote for can be tricky. There are the two major parties as well as lots of other parties and independent candidates, and which parties you can vote for will depend on which candidates are standing in your area.
When an election is called, candidates and members of their party are likely to go around the local area. They might put leaflets through your door, or even knock for a chat. This can be a good way to get to know your local candidates and what they stand for. Sometimes your local candidate won’t have the exact same views as the leader of their party. Especially in local elections, the personal views of the candidates can be very significant.
As well as checking out the views of your local candidates, it’s also worth looking at the general party stances and manifestos. The manifestos will cover the party’s pledges – what they’ll do (or try to do) if they win. You probably won’t find a party you agree with 100%, so be willing to compromise a little by deciding which topics to prioritise.
Your university might also have political societies for the major parties, and they might be running campaigns to hand out leaflets on campus. You can chat to the members of these societies to get a feel for what the general ideas are among supporters of the party.
3. Use your voice
If you’ve never voted before, the whole process can seem intimidating. Once you’re registered, you should get a polling card in the post ahead of any elections. The polling card will indicate where your local polling station is. This is where you go to vote if you’re voting in-person. It might be something like a church hall or library.
On the day, you'll need to take photo ID with you in order to vote. This is a new requirement, so make sure you're prepared. You can use a drivers license or passport as ID, or if you don't have one of those documents you can get a free Voter Authority Certificate online. You'll also receive a polling card in the post, but it's okay if you don't take it with you. You do also need to know your name and address, but we’re assuming you know that already!
Once you arrive at the polling station, you may have to queue. When it’s your turn, you’ll go up to the next available person, give them your ID, name and address and they’ll look you up on a list. They’ll find your name, cross it off, and hand you a ballot paper. The ballot paper will instruct you on how to mark it so your vote is cast. Marking the paper incorrectly can lead to a spoilt ballot. You’ll take your ballot paper into a booth, cast your vote by following the instructions on the paper, fold it up so nobody can see it, and pop it into a box. And you’re done. It’s really that simple.
Many people throughout the world are denied the right to vote. It's important that if you’re able to vote, you exercise that right. So go on, get on the register, do some research and have your say.
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