#IVOTE: Are you registered to vote in the General Election?

For many of us here at Warwick, May will be the first time we have ever voted in a general election. It’s an incredibly important election, with smaller parties taking up more of the limelight than ever before and no majority looking certain any time soon.

This issue marks the beginning of the Boar’s #IVOTE campaign to ensure students are registered to vote and their voices are heard. Registration closes on April 20, so there’s now less than two months to make sure your vote is counted.

Since the way we register to vote has changed, students are no longer automatically registered in halls residences, and reports suggest that up to one million votes from young people could be lost in this May’s general election. According to the Electoral Commission, around 30 percent of 18-24 year olds have not yet registered to vote.

With over 197 seats across the country with an MP who has a majority of ten percent or less, our votes matter more than ever before.

We are the generation sitting in debt, with dwindling property prospects, entering a brutal job market, uncertain of our futures. We may be quick to complain, but we cannot do so unless we make an effort to make our voices heard.

Young votes are crucial. We matter – our futures are the future of this country, and we must be responsible for that.

Registering to vote takes roughly two minutes; all you need is your national insurance number. Head to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to ensure your voice is heard come May.

Two minutes to stand up and be counted. Two minutes to make a change. Register to vote.