Student Advice Service – Money Matters

News from the Student Advice Service at the University of Brighton

Local elections 2nd May – make sure you register to vote

Some local councils such as Eastbourne, Lewes, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Rother and Wealden are having elections this May. This is not to be confused with a general election.

District, Town and Parish Council elections across the UK will be held on Thursday, 2nd May 2019 and it is important that you make sure you are registered to vote.

Most students move from one year to the next and for many younger students, having an opportunity to vote for the first time arises whilst being at university. If you want to have your say on local and national issues it is essential that you make sure your details are entered correctly on the electoral register.

If you have moved since the last local elections in May 2018 and/or the general election in June 2017, you should check at which address you are currently listed.

Here are some key dates and deadlines for you:

  1. Check you are listed under your current address on the Electoral Register as soon as possible
  2. If not, you need to register to vote by Friday 12th April 2019. This means you will be able to vote in any elections whilst you are living at that address.
  3. If you don’t want to vote in person on the day, you can ask for a postal vote, meaning you can vote sooner than everyone else and not worry about finding your polling station on the big day. You must register for a postal vote by 5pm on Monday, 15th April 2019.
  4. If you have planned to vote in person, then something crops up, you can choose someone else to cast your vote for you. This is called a proxy vote. However, a bit like the postal vote, you need to request this before 5pm on Wednesday, 24th April 2019.

Typically polling stations are open from early morning until 10pm on election so there is plenty of opportunity to make your mark. Find your nearest polling station.

You must register to be eligible to vote. Our table here may be useful if you are not sure whether you can vote in the local and general elections or not.

If you have got any questions about voting or registering, just contact Student Advice

Student Advice Service

Helen Abrahams • April 2, 2019


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