The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming May elections is Monday the 18th of April.
You’ve probably been bombarded for months with information from the government, family, and your peers about how and why to vote, but I’m adding my voice to the chorus.
The 18th is literally just around the corner, and the deadline applies for the local elections taking place across the country. However, given that one of the elections taking place this summer will decide whether or not we remain in the EU, I am making a personal plea to you, the reader of this article, to make sure you are registered to vote NOW. You have until the 7th of June to register to vote in the EU Referendum, but why not get it out of the way?!
It is particularly important that students make sure they are registered, because you have to re-register every time you move house, or else risk not receiving your polling card. In addition, the changes made to the Electoral Roll in 2015 mean that your landlord doesn’t tell the local government you’re eligible to vote, you have to do it individually.
For the referendum, since many students move house or move home in the month of June, it is a good idea to register at your permanent (ie family, home, etc) address too.
If you’re not sure if you’ve registered, the only way to find out is to contact your local registration office, which you can find by entering your postcode here. If you’re going to be on holiday, or unable to vote for any reason on either the 5th of May or the 23rd of June, you can also apply for a postal or proxy vote through your local registration office.
Even if you’re not sure whether you even have an opinion about any of the elections yet, please register.
You have time to do more research, and to discuss the pros and cons of the mayoral candidates or Brexit, but if you aren’t registered, none of that will matter.
Once you have registered (yes, I am going to keep linking the registration website) you can research to your heart’s content.
You can look up who your candidates are for Police and Crime Commissioner in Avon and Somerset. Or Mayor.
If you’re not sure what elections are even going on in your local area, you can also look that up.
But above all, please, PLEASE, just REGISTER TO VOTE!
Upcoming elections in Bristol:
Thursday 5 May 2016
- Election for Mayor of Bristol
- Election for the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner
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Local elections to Bristol City Council
Thursday 23 June
- The referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union
REGISTER! PLEASE!