Time to Have Your Say - General Election 2015

Tuesday 05-05-2015 - 17:56
Polling station 6 may 2010

If you do one thing today, vote! On Thursday 7th May we get to have our say on who should lead the country, and it's important that your voice is heard. 

 

For some of you, the 2015 general election might be your first time voting. We're here to answer your voting questions and help you decide who to vote for if you're still undecided. Click here to download our elections guide, or carry on reading!

 

Who should I vote for?

Vote for a party that represents your views and will make changes that you want to see. Each party has a manifesto - a statement telling you their views and what they want to achieve - which is available on their websites, though if you're short on time there are other options...

 

The BBC policy guide summarises the views of each of the parties according to issues you care about, or, if you're under 25, take a look at the Bite The Ballot manifesto guide, which tells you what each party wants to do for young people. We've also done some manifesto-crunching of our own, based on the one thing that unites you all as students - education! We've summarised each party's views on education and university - from funding to tuition fees. Click here to read them.

 

Another easy way to figure out which party best represents your own views is to try an online quiz - a procrastinator's best friend. Vote Match have a quick quiz you can try out, while Vote For Policies gets you to cast your judgement on actual policies. There's also the I Side With quiz, which asks you for your opinions on a range of issues, then tells you which party's views best match your own. It's basically Tinder.

                                     

 

Why should I vote?

Because it's your right, and people have fought and died for that right - and still are. Because over half of 18-24s don't vote, which means decisions are made without their involvement or consent. Because if you're passionate about something - be it education or the environment, the NHS or living costs - you need to voice your views rather than just hoping that someone else will. Millions of people don't vote - more than vote for any particular party - and if they did it would have a massive impact. Anything else?                                 


General Election FAQS

Where do I go? Head to your nearest local polling station, which is within walking distance from where you live. You should have received a polling card in the post telling you where that is. If you've lost or haven't received your polling card, give your local elections office a call to find out. Click here to find out their details. If you're in halls, we've found your polling stations for you:

Platt/Writtle: 16 Heritage Avenue, Colindale, London NW9 5EN 
Ivy: St Agnes Centre, Gillingham Road, London NW2 1HR
Usher: Bennett House, Sunningfields Road, Hendon, London NW4 4QR

When do I go? Polling stations open at 7am (for you early birds) and stay open until 10pm, so it should be easy to fit into your day. As long as you get to the polling station by 10pm they have to let you vote.

What do I do? Give the polling station people your name and address, and they'll give you your ballot paper! Put an X next to the candidate/party you wish to vote for. You must only do this for one candidate or your ballot will be invalid and your vote won't count. Some people choose to spoil their ballot on purpose as a form of protest.

How does it work? People vote for candidates within their constituency - their local area, essentially. The candidate who gets the most votes wins in that constituency, becoming it's MP (Member of Parliament). This happens across the country, with winning MPs taking the place in national government, and essentially deciding which party wins overall. We use a first past the post voting system, which some people would like to see changed. Read about it here.


If you want to find out more, click here, or find us around campus on Thursday 7th May. You can also check out websites like Bite the Ballot or Swing the Vote.

 

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