50% of Students will not vote
Despite this election being the most important for a generation, nearly half of all university students will not vote in May. That is the story revealed in yesterday’s survey conducted by student accommodation provider Unite, which questioned more than 1,500 students.
This is despite the fact that nearly all students currently at university have been educated largely or exclusively under a Labour Government, since those who started university last year began primary education in 1997.
The survey showed that while only 12% said they had “no interest in politics”, almost half said they did not plan to vote in the coming general election. The apathy among young voters is shockingly high, especially given the current economic situation is arguably having the biggest affect on young people.
Political parties of all colours have a huge challenge to mobilise the student vote. I can’t find a reference for this right now, but I can recall a statistic from the 2005 election, which showed that the result in something like 20-25 marginal constituencies would have been altered had the student vote come out in a similar proportion to the rest of the voters in the UK, potentially changing the government of the day.
In 2010, the student vote could almost certainly determine whether it is Gordon Brown or David Cameron who walks through the door of Number 10 on May 7th.
The general election in May will decide the national government for the next 5 years. That government will in turn make hundreds of decisions that directly impact young people, students and (soon to be) graduates. From the most direct policies about the level of university tuition fees or the payback rate for student loans; to the more aspirational policies about the stamp duty rate and assistance for first time home buyers; income tax rates for high earners and tax rates for small business and the self employed.
Although many may not truly realise it now, in the life of the next parliament nearly all of those who are students today will graduate and begin the real-life struggle to pay back debts; save for a house deposit; pay for childcare and find a job.
The policies of the government after May 6th will set the framework in which these students and young people will begin their adult lives.
Why leave it to others to decide that framework? Get out and vote!
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Allowing students to vote on campus at University would encourage more of them to vote in general. At the moment, they have to go home to vote, or vote by postal vote, which requires organisation – something us students lack at the best of times!
Also, those who began University this year, with no gap year from A levels or IB, would’ve begun their primary education under the Major government in 1994/1995, not under the Blair government of 1997. Granted, most of their education if under this government, but those who began in 1997 are not yet in University.
Becca, Students can vote on campus/in their university seat. Most who live in Uni halls will be automatically registered to vote by the university as their landlord. Those in private accommodation can apply (form on aboutmyvote.co.uk) to their local council.
Students can only vote once – either in their home constituency, or their university residency constituency. So for most, it is either a postal vote from home, or a polling station vote on the day at their place of study.
Most campuses with large on-site residency will have a polling station at the university. Keele for example has a polling station in the main Chancellors building.
On the other point – It depends what age you started school. Some started earlier, but many would have started Primary at age 5 in year 1 (1996/7), and then year 1 university in 2009/10. I kind of used poetic licence on this.
thats mad thats the pount in haveing the vote if y dont use it it jsut the whay we thinck in thises times they are more intersed in voting in tv shows. it mad why not macke it the lowr to vote that way there wont be this problem. so here is what i thinck if u dont vote they you have no say how the govment is run. but students have the most to gewt out of voteing as they can chage things (altho the mideil- aged have a much biger percent of the voting power) and that wont chage as the poplashen is geting older .
but as i sade it not a right to vote it a need ???
This isn’t particularly suprising – what with MPs expenses and the Labour government shutting itself off from the people you can’t help that people not only feel disillusioned with politics but also that their vote won’t make any difference.
But this, as undemocratic as it sounds, is likely to be useful for the Conservatives as voter apathy would suggest that overall students are more likely than other age groups to vote labour, and so if many are ignoring their right to vote then it may boost the Conservatives further.
Just thought you might like to know – this has been picked up on the below blog:
http://cornishcomplainer.blogspot.com/2010/08/political-campaigning-and-supporting.html
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