General Election
The Government has called a General Election for Thursday 4th July 2024. The last one was held in December 2019 so a lot of our students won’t have been eligible to vote. Students make up 10% of the voting population and with so many key elements of your student experience decided by the UK Government, this is the perfect opportunity to have your voice heard.
Hustings
SUSU is holding a Hustings event on Wednesday 26th June at 5pm, which is when you have the chance to meet and ask questions of all the candidates. We are running the Hustings in partnership with Solent Students’ Union and the event will be chaired by Professor Jane Falkingham, the University’s Vice-President Engagement and International. To attend you will need a free ticket which you can get via our box office page here.
Attendance:
- Katherine Barbour – Green Party – Confirmed
- Ben Burcombe-Filer – Conservative & Union Party – Confirmed
- John Edwards – Reform UK – Confirmed
- Maggie Fricker – Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition – Confirmed
- Thomas Gravatt – Liberal Democrats – Confirmed
- Satvir Kaur – Labour Party – Confirmed
- Wajahat Shaukat – Workers Party of Britain – Awaiting Confirmation
Our Hustings is for the constituency of Southampton Test, the event is open to all students and we really encourage you to join us. Click here for more information and tickets.
TIMINGS
HOW TO VOTE
1. Check your eligibility
You do not have to be a UK citizen to vote in UK elections. British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK can vote in General Election. Check if you’re eligible to vote 👇
2. Register to vote
You have until 18th June to register to vote. You can register at both your term-time address and your home address but you can only vote in one of them. It literally takes a few minutes to register and all you’ll need is your national insurance number.
3. Get your voter ID
You’ll need to have a valid form of photo ID in order to vote. This can be your passport or driving licence but please note that your University ID isn’t valid. If you don’t have one of the accepted forms of ID you will need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 26th June.
4. Vote on the 4 July
The last crucial step is to actually vote. You do this at your local polling station - to find your nearest one enter your postcode on the Electoral Commission website. Polling stations are open from 7am – 10pm but if you know in advance you won’t be able to get to a polling station you can vote via proxy (i.e. someone voting on your behalf). The deadline for applying for this is Wednesday 26th June. The other way you can vote is via post - the deadline to apply for this is Wednesday 19th June.