All Student Vote (Spring 2025)
Warwick SU to boost voter turnout
This motion is for the Vice President for Democracy and Development to run a campaign to encourage students to register to vote and this campaign should encourage students to bring a valid form of ID to polling stations.
This Union Notes:
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The introduction of Individual Voter Registration in 2014/15 means that people are now responsible for registering to vote themselves, and universities can no longer do so (1).
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Less than half of young people voted in the last general election (2).
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Voter ID laws have recently been introduced to the UK.
This Union Believes:
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Warwick SU has a duty to students to allow themselves to be heard, and so therefore should mount campaigns around election periods and in freshers week to get students registered to vote.
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The SU has many avenues available to it to do so, including the hiring of democracy assistants, social media outreach, and a Projects and Campaigns team.
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These have not been fully utilised to promote student voter registration.
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Voter ID laws are likely to deter students from voting
This Union Resolves:
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For the VP Democracy and Development, during Freshers week or in the few weeks after it, to run a campaign encouraging students to register to vote
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Additionally, this campaign should encourage students to bring a valid form of ID to polling stations.
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This campaign is to include information that in local elections students can vote in both their home and university wards, and encouraging students to register for a postal vote at home
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In the run up to local elections, for the same campaign to be run
In the period before a general election, or in a byelection in the local area (all Coventry seats, Warwick and Leamington, Kenilworth and Southam), for the VP Democracy and Development, to run a much larger campaign, possibly hiring democracy assistants, encouraging students to register to vote.
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This policy replaces previous policy on this issue, namely 138 Student Voter Registration
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For a general election, for the SU to attempt to hold hustings for candidates in both the Coventry South and Warwick and Leamington constituencies.
Sources
? ? * 1 - https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/buzz/news/public/2015/November-2015/Electoral-Register.aspx
? ? * 2 -https://89initiative.com/youth-turnout-uk-europe/