As an international student, it's important that you turn up to vote in UK elections, if eligible.
Check your eligibility
If you're a Commonwealth student who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission (this is relevant to most of our international students!), it means you're eligible to vote!
Check if your home country is on the eligibility list.
Register to vote
You must register to vote to be able to have your say in UK elections.
The deadline to register to vote on 4 July has now passed.
Get photo ID
You'll need specific photo ID to vote in UK elections.
Check photo ID requirements
Do your research
It's important to be as informed as possible when casting your vote.
Based on our knowledge about what's most important to Hallam students, we'd suggest looking into the following topics:
- General cost of living support
- Maintenance loan increase and revival of the maintenance grant
- International student VISA support
- Transport affordability
- Renter reform
However, as an international student you may also want to consider:
- Visa and immigration policies (Graduate Route Visa)
- Tuition fees and financial assistance
- Employment opportunities
Voters typically choose representatives whose views align with their own. Luckily, you can check your MP's current stance on these topics and find out where each political party stands on a variety of other issues.
- NUS Vote Matcher - Find out which political parties you agree with most
- Find your current MP to see how they voted on specific historic issues
- Find candidates you can vote for in your local area
- Attend a local hustings event to see MP candidates debate and answer questions from their constituents. If you've not heard enough about things that matter to you, make sure you attend and submit a question. We'll update this webpage with any hustings events we know about!
Turn up to vote
Familiarise yourself with what to expect on the day and how to cast your vote; in person, by proxy, or via postal vote.
Learn how to vote