Bedfordshire students head up register to vote campaign

Fri 12 April, 2019

University of Bedfordshire students are heading up Luton Borough Council’s new register to vote campaign.

Under the headline #YourvoiceYourvote, Media Performance students feature in the first phase of the campaign. The students feature in striking campaign images which remind residents that if they do not register or exercise their right to vote, they are silencing themselves.

It is a part of LBC’s new year-long campaign encouraging the people of Luton to engage in all levels of democracy and speak up for their own communities.

In addition to the digital aspects of the campaign, banners have been placed at the University specifically aimed at ensuring first time voters attending Bedfordshire are registered and can have their say on 2 May.

With local elections on 2 May this year, a significant proportion of the campaign will focus on important issues such as vote security, proxy voting and voting by post.

Later in the year, as freshers join the university, a new phase of the drive will begin concentrating on encouraging students to register to vote. The University has also been working with LBC to include a section in its registration form where students can consent to be included on the electoral register.

Bill Rammell Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire said: “One of our roles as a higher education institution is to educate future generations to be agents of real political change. A key way we can do this is to encourage voter registration and for students to take their place in society as active citizens.”

Laura Church, returning officer for Luton, said: “We are fortunate in this country in having a very clear and direct link between decisions made at the ballot box and the lives of ordinary citizens. It seems entirely appropriate that, in the centenary of the right for women to vote, the council embarks upon a programme of helping people understand how democracy impacts our daily lives and what role each of us can have.

Both nationally and locally, the council is responsible for encouraging and enabling participation in democracy and it is my hope that this campaign will help people to have a voice through voting.”