It is very important that you register to vote. It is easy to do – you can register online in a few minutes. If you are not registered to vote, you will not be able to make your voice heard at election time and referendums and it may also affect your credit scoring now and in the future.
Many full-time Northumbria students whose programmes are based in Newcastle will have been asked, during their enrolment process, if they would like the University to register them to vote with the local authority by sharing relevant information with the relevant local authority. Agreeing to your information being shared in this way is the easiest way for you to register to vote.
However, if you did not agree, when you enrolled, to the University sharing your information in this way, or if you were not asked this question during enrolment (for example, if you are a part-time student or if your programme is not based in Newcastle), then you must register to vote yourself. You should do this as soon as possible.
If you are not sure whether or not you agreed to voter registration as part of your enrolment, it is better to register again with your local authority.
How to register:
It’s easy. Go to www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk, click on ‘Register to vote’ and answer the questions. It is very important that you have your National Insurance (NI) number with you in order to register. If you don’t have an NI number or if you have lost your NI number, you can find out more here.
If you have a term-time address and a different permanent address (for example, your family home), you can register at both addresses, so that you can vote whenever an election takes place.
Remember - you must register to vote again each time you change address or move house.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Please note you can only register to vote if you are an Irish, Commonwealth or EU citizen and resident in the UK. Find out more here.
