By voting in an election, you play an important role by exercising your democratic right to vote for a new government and have your say.
All British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK and over 18 years old on election day are eligible and must be registered to vote to take part. You can check your eligibility as a student via The Electoral Commission.
How can I check if I’m registered to vote?
If you're not sure if you're already registered to vote, you can check by getting in touch with your local authority. Enter your postcode to find your local electoral registration office.
How can I register to vote?
You can register to vote online quickly and easily, in a process that takes about 5 minutes. You'll be asked for your National Insurance number, but can still register if you don't have one.
How can I vote?
There are three ways to vote: in person, by post or by proxy (nominating someone to vote on your behalf at your allocated polling station).
If you won’t be able to vote in person, you can choose to vote by post or by proxy. Once you're registered to vote, you can then apply for a postal vote or apply for a proxy vote. Please note that both you and your nominee must be registered to vote before you can apply for a proxy vote.
To vote by post, you must be available during the run-up to the election to receive your ballot paper at the address you provided, make your vote and return it by post. If you’re going to be away on or before an election, you may decide a proxy vote is a better option for you.
Voting as a student
As a student, you’ll be able to register to vote at both your home and term-time addresses, but you will only have one vote during a general election. If your home and term-time addresses are in two different local authority areas, for a general election, you will need to choose which address to vote from.
Will I need photo ID to vote?
Yes, photo identification is required to be able to vote in person in several elections, including general elections and local elections in England.
There are various different forms of acceptable photo ID that you could use, including passports and driving licences.
One ID option is the CitizenCard, which is a form of PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) card, supported by the National Union for Students (NUS).
If you don't have any other kind of accepted photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
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