Last week, the House of Commons voted to hold a general election on Thursday 12 December.
It is highly unusual for an election to be held at this time of year. Therefore, in support of the Electoral Commission, we would like to remind those of you eligible to take part in UK elections to ensure that you are registered to vote.
By registering to vote you can be part of shaping the future of this country. This will affect the outcome of the general election but also influence the way that politicians legislate because they are your representatives in parliament.
Another more practical benefit is that if you want to rent a property or take out a mobile phone contract it really helps if you’re on the electoral roll.
Students can and should register to vote at both their home and term-time addresses to ensure that they can vote wherever they are in the country on the day. However, you are only able to vote once in a general election.
It takes just five minutes to register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote and all you need is your national insurance number.
You can vote if you are:
- 18 or over (on the day of the election)
- A British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen and a resident at a British address.
