Gwynedd Council and Bangor University have teamed-up for an initiative to encourage the university’s students to register to vote.
Since the launch of the Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in June 2014, every person is required to register to vote individually rather than by the household.
During the recent Serendipity Freshers Fair at Bangor University, students who registered to vote during the day were invited to partake in a competition. Over 50 students took part in the competition to win a £50 book token by registering to vote.
Councillor Mair Rowlands, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and local member for the Menai ward said: “Registering to vote is a requirement and ensures that you can have you can have your say on the issues of today.
“Students have been identified as having the least percentage of the population who have registered to vote, it’s therefore very important to raise awareness of Individual Electoral Registration ahead of the General Election in May,
“I would encourage all students at Bangor University to register to vote; it only takes a few minutes and will ensure that your opinions can be heard.
“Congratulations to Steven Merry for winning the £50 book voucher.”
There are many reasons why it’s important that your details are included on the electoral register:
– elections can be called at short-notice and you will not be able to vote if you haven’t registered
– it is a legal requirement to register, failing to do so can lead to a fine
– by registering you’re ensuring that the Council’s records are correct
– maintain your credit rating: banks and credit agencies use the electoral register to confirm a person’s address.
For more information about how to register to vote, visit www.gwynedd.gov.uk/election or www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. You can also phone Gwynedd Council on 01766 771000 to find out more.
