Register to Vote Why Bother? Voting Students Standing as a candidate Register to voteIf you are 18 or under, you are entitled to vote as soon as you are 18 years old. If you are a UK, Commonwealth or EU citizen resident in the UK then you will be eligible to register. A list of eligible countries is available. It is therefore a good idea to look out for the Register of Electors form delivered to your property in August/September. Whoever it is in your property that normally completes this form, make sure this time they include your name and date of birth, if you are between the age of 16 and 18. It is important that these dates are accurate as you will be able to vote from the date of your 18th Birthday, provided your name is on the published electoral register.If you are 16 or over you are entitled to check the electoral register to see if your name appears. If you find that your name is not included then you can complete an electoral registration form to request to have your name added. There are monthly updates to the register throughout the year from January to September so even if your name gets missed off you can apply at any time.Back to topWhy bother?Registering to vote is important if you want to use your chance to have your say on local or national issues.If your name is not on the register then you cannot vote. Its easy to register, you only have to give your name, address and nationality on the form. Once you've signed it, send it back to us and we will write back to you to confirm we've received it. Then when we publish the next update to the register you'll get a letter that confirms you are registered to vote.Being registered is also important as it can be used to prove where you live. This can be important if applying for any form of credit such as student loans, bank accounts,or a mobile phone with a contract. Back to topVotingVoting at election time is your chance to have a say in how government is run locally and also who represents you in the House of Commons and European Parliament. Find out who your current councillors, MP and MEPS are.If you are registered to vote, at election time we will send you a poll card. This tells you where your polling station will be and when it will be open. If you can't get to the polling station then you can always vote by post or appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf (you have to say why you can't get to the polling station to vote by proxy). .When it comes to voting there are three ways you can vote. In person at the polling station, by post or by proxy. Find out aboutdifferent ways of votingBack to topStudentsStudents are often away at college or university and therefore have two homes; your term time address and your actual home address. Because of this, students are able to register at both addresses if they wish to do so. However although you may register twice you cannot vote twice in the same election. This would mean that as a student you could vote in a local election in the area where your university is and also vote in the Spelthorne Borough Council elections, provided you were registered in both areas. You could not vote twice in a European Parliamentary election or a UK Parliamentary election.This means you can vote on issues that affect the area where your university or college is and also vote on issues affecting your home.Back to topStanding as a candidateCandidates must be at least 18 years of age on the date of their nomination.Back to topGraphical Version l
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