On Wednesday 22 May, current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election to take place on Thursday 4 July. This gives the general public chance to choose who will lead the country for the next few years. If you\u2019re looking for an article telling you who to vote for then you\u2019re best off looking elsewhere. This article is politically neutral and instead looks at why it\u2019s so important that you register to vote and get your voice heard.<\/p>\n
Why you should register to vote.<\/strong><\/p>\n Registering to vote doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve made up your mind on who to vote for. It also doesn\u2019t mean you have to vote; you can still choose not to on polling day. But you do need to be registered if you choose to vote. Even if you don\u2019t think you will vote, you might change your mind as election day gets closer. Registering to vote is easy, I did it last night and it took me 5 minutes, and as a student, you can register to vote at either your home address or your uni address. \u00a0It\u2019s a criminal offence to vote in more than one location, so definitely don\u2019t do that! If you know you aren\u2019t going to be in the country on election day, or you\u2019re not sure where you might be we would recommend registering for a postal vote, allowing you to send your vote in earlier without missing out.<\/p>\n Basically, you should make sure you register to vote because it\u2019s the only way you can guarantee your voice is heard. If you decide not to vote later then you don\u2019t have to, but if you decide you want to vote but you\u2019re not registered then you can\u2019t. Head to the government website to register.<\/a><\/strong> You\u2019ll also be asked for your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one).<\/p>\n Here are some key dates for you:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Get your voice heard<\/strong><\/p>\n Elections are your chance to get your voice heard and stand up for what you believe in. You don\u2019t have to share who you voted for if you don\u2019t want to, so don\u2019t feel pressured to do so. It\u2019s important to look at the manifestos of each candidate in your area and see what they stand for. If it doesn\u2019t appeal to you then simply don\u2019t vote for them. It\u2019s also worth remembering that your local MP doesn\u2019t just represent their party, they also have to represent you, so make sure you\u2019re actually looking at what they\u2019re going to do for the local area too. If you don\u2019t vote, then you can\u2019t really complain when things don\u2019t go your way because you chose not to vote.<\/p>\n What to do on 4 July 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n On election day you\u2019ll need to take ID with you to vote, this can be a driving license, passport or anything from this list: gov.uk\/how-to-vote\/photo-id-youll-need<\/p>\n Find out where your local polling station is in advance and give yourself plenty of time before polls close to head along.<\/p>\n So, in conclusion get yourself registered to vote and look at the manifestos of the candidates in your local area, allowing you to make an informed decision on who runs our country from 5 July.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n
\n Deadline for registering to vote<\/td>\n 11.59pm, Tuesday 18 June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Deadline for applying for a postal vote<\/td>\n 5.00pm, Wednesday 19 June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate (Voter ID if needed)<\/td>\n 5.00pm, Wednesday 26 June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Polling Day<\/td>\n 7.00am \u2013 10.00pm, Thursday 4 July<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n