Council looks to step up student registration

September 28, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

Council looks to step up student registration

Friday 25th September 2015

‘You are entitled to have your say’ will be the message given to local students from the Council’s Electoral Services team next week.

Officers will be outside The Forum on Wednesday 30th September from 5-7pm as part of the University of Essex Freshers’ Fair, in a bid to encourage young people to register to vote.

Students will be asked to complete a registration form or visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to ensure they are registered for the 2016 elections.

Rob Tinlin, Chief Executive of the Council says: “Many young people who are moving away for the first time and starting university probably do not realise that if they have a permanent home address and a term-time one too they can be lawfully registered at both.

"It is vital that as many people as possible are registered to vote so they can have their say on issues that affect their lives, and as a large student town it is important that we target young people.

“It is quick and easy to register online and only takes a few minutes so although this may not be the first thing in people’s minds when they start a new chapter in their life at university, it is important and I would urge students to come and see the team next week.”

As part of the event, the team will be giving out free cakes to highlight how registering is a ‘piece of cake’ and asking those registering to pose for selfies to post on the council’s Twitter feed @SouthendBC and Facebook page.