General Election 4th July – What you need to know
What’s happening?
On 4th July the whole country will get to vote on who should be in charge for the next five years. For many of you, this will be your first chance to use your voice on a national level, so here’s a quick summary of the dates and deadlines, and what you need to do to have your say:
Registering to vote – deadline Tuesday 18th June
The first step is to make sure you’re registered to vote! Even if you aren’t sure yet, it’s important to register to make sure you have the option, as you never know what might inspire (or anger) you before the election day itself. It only takes five minutes, and all you need is your name, address and national insurance number. As students, you can register at both your term-time and out-of-term address, so you can vote wherever you are on July 4th.
Why should I register/ vote?
Five years might seem quite a while away, but a lot can change in that time! Voting is your chance to be a part of deciding the future of this country. Whilst there are millions of votes cast in a general election the country is split into 600 ‘Constituencies’, so you have more of a say in electing which ‘Member of Parliament’ you want to represent you and your areas views on what should be done.
Voter ID
One thing you will need to vote is some Photo ID. Most people have something which qualifies already (I.e. Driving License or Passport) but you can check the full list on the Electoral Commission’s Website. If you don’t have any qualifying ID (your student card doesn’t count), you can register for a free Proof of Age Scheme (PASS) CitizenCard through their deal with NUS (Deadline to apply 20th June): NUS CitizenCard. The government also offers a free “Voter Authority Certificate” scheme. This is also useful if your name on your Photo ID doesn’t match the name you’re registered to vote with. (Deadline 5pm, 26th June): Voter Authority Certificate
Polling Day – Thursday 4th July 2024, 7am-10pm
A few days before the day of the election you should receive a ‘poll card’ through the door reminding you of the details of the election and letting you know where your local polling station is (you don’t need to bring this with you to vote). Local newspapers are likely to have made lists of the local candidates standing in your area which you can look at in advance. On the day itself, also known as Polling Day, you will need to make a trip to the specific polling station for your address. This should be on your poll card but there will be websites which may be able to help you find it if you are unsure nearer the date. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm, and there isn’t usually a queue to get in. They’ll ask you for your name and address, and to see your photo ID. They will then hand you a ballot paper and direct you towards a booth where you can cast your vote in private. You can then fold the paper, and put it into the ballot box on your way out… And you’re done! It’s that quick and easy. At the end of the day, all the votes are collected and counted overnight, so when you wake up on Friday, we should know who won each vote, and who the next Prime Minister is likely to be!
FAQs:
What if I’m not here on election day?
Not a problem! There are two main options if you can’t make it to a polling station on 4th July, voting by post or getting someone to vote on your behalf (a ‘proxy’ vote):
Postal vote: Application Deadline Wednesday 19th June, 5pm
You’ll receive your ballot paper through the post a few days before the election and can even have it sent to a different address! There will be included instructions how to complete the ballot and the deadline for posting it. You’ll need to already be registered to vote and to apply: Apply for Postal Vote
Proxy Vote: Application Deadline Wednesday 26th June, 5pm
For a proxy vote, you can nominate someone to go to your polling station and vote on your behalf. Both you and your “proxy” need to be registered to vote already, and they’ll need to vote at the polling station for your address. Find out more info and apply online here: Apply for Proxy Vote
I’m an international Student, can I vote?
You need to hold British, Irish or a ‘qualifying Commonwealth’ citizenship to vote in the general election. You can find out more about ‘qualifying Commonwealth’ citizenship here: Qualifying Commonwealth Citizenship
