Campaign to remind students they need to register to vote started by QMUL students
Changes to the electoral register mean that voters now have to register individually rather than as a household – and this could disproportionately affect students. Anyone who has not individually registered by 1 December will be removed, and with the London Mayoral election coming up 5 May 2016, students need to make sure they are still registered to have their say.
Inspired to make this happen, QMUL students Matt Mahmoudi (third year Politics with Business Management) and Oliver Davis (third year Politics) have started a campaign around campus to highlight the need for students to register themselves before the 1 December.
What inspired you set up this campaign to get students on the electoral register?
Lots of societies were really interested in doing something about this, and we knew the deadline was looming, but we also knew we could do more if we worked together. Our plan was to bring volunteer person-power to the campaign and tie it up with institutional support from the SU and Accommodation Services, but we didn't know if they would go for it! In the end we found we were pushing an open door - Carolina really embraced it and the Union and Accommodation Services have supported us every step of the way.
What are the key points of the campaign?
The key point of the campaign is really to tackle the changes in the registration process being put in effect, which means that students are automatically not registered any longer. To avoid a loss of a significant number of voters, we wanted to create awareness of the changes that students may not have been aware of, and at the same time use the opportunity to include EU and Commonwealth Citizens, who may not be aware that they have the right to vote.
What activities can students get involved in to help spread the word?
It’s always great to have volunteers help us spread the word by flyering on Library Square, or helping us disseminate information in halls. Crucially, we’d love for as many societies to get involved with spreading the information within and across their societies. Anyone interested in volunteering or helping out can contact the SU President at su-president@qmul.ac.uk.
Where will you be on campus and when?
We’ll be spending the evenings getting leaflets and posters across to student halls. We will be running the campaign throughout November and until the deadline for registration on December 1st.
To find out more about the campaign click here