Maximum amount of impact for minimum amount of work- why you should vote in the Local Elections on 4 May.
Why the local elections matter to YOU!
Voting is a simple way to influence change on the issues that affect you most. For a long time now, many students have faced issues such as:
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Exploitation from landlords,
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Poor transport to and from university,
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Facing large amounts of debt,
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Struggling with the cost of living,
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Suffering mental ill-health as a result of these.
Local councils provide services concerning local housing, transport and public health. Who you choose to elect will directly impact your experiences of these services. The SU, your Officers and the student community partnership all work closely with the Council on matters impacting you as a student, so it is essential that the student body are electing Councillors who are keen to engage with Bath’s student population. The more students registered to vote, the more likely it is that
Councillors consult students on decisions regarding these services.
You may believe your vote doesn’t count, but in local elections (especially in small cities like Bath) this could not be further from the truth. In the 2019 local elections for Bath and North-East Somerset Council all seats were won by less than 900 votes in each of the 33 wards, 25 seats were won by less than 500 votes, and 3 Councillors won their seat by less than 100 votes.
The University of Bath has approximately 20,000 students enrolled. Although not all live in the local area or eligible to vote, there is the chance for students to have an enormous impact on who is elected to local council. For example- there are 2688 students living in the Bathwick ward. This ward was won by 491 votes in the 2019 local election.
Why should you register to vote?
Besides allowing you to vote in both local and national elections, it can…
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Help boost your credit score
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Give you easier access to legal services
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Make it easier to apply for a passport
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Help prevent you from being a victim of identity fraud
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Save you time on credit applications
How you can register to vote:
It takes less than 5 minutes and can be done online on the
GOV.UK webite.
The next election you can vote in are your local council elections, which will take place on 4 May 2023. You must register to vote by 17 April and you can apply for a free postal vote if you are unable to vote in person on the day.
You will need photo ID to vote in person. If you do not have one, the NUS can help. The Citizen Card (usually £15) can be purchased for free by using the code NUS
on their website.
You can also apply for a free
Voter Authority Certificate. You must be registered to vote first. Applications for the free voter ID certificate close on 25 April.
Can international students vote?
Students from Commonwealth countries, British Overseas Territories and the Republic of Ireland can vote in all UK elections. In England and Northern Ireland only EU students from countries with voting agreements with the UK can vote. You can visit the
Electoral Commision website for more information on who can vote.
Who is standing?
We have put together a seperate blog post with details about who is standing and their aims.
Happy voting!