Cantabs show their intention to vote, even when on vacationAmy Leach

Who will you be voting for in May? Take Varsity's short election survey and have your say.

In the lead up to the General Election in May, The Electoral Commission and the National Union of Students (NUS) have launched a new campaign designed to get more students to register to vote.

The viral campaign comes after recent surveys have shown that young people are less likely to be registered to vote than those in other age groups. Research carried out by the Electoral Commission shows that around 30 per cent of 18-24 year olds are not registered to vote, compared to less than five per cent of those aged over 65.

A YouGov survey in February found that 53 per cent of 18-24 year olds surveyed were not aware that they could register to vote online.

Michael Abbot, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission, said of the campaign: “Too many young people are still not registered to vote to have their say on 7 May. Over half also don’t know they can register to vote online. But plenty of young people are passionate about voting, and this campaign aims to use the power of social networks to help them spread the word about the importance and ease of registering.”

The campaign, called #RegAFriend (‘Register a Friend’) encourages students and young people to persuade those who are yet to register to do so by sharing messages and photos on social media.

The campaign will see a friend encouraging another to vote, and once that person has done so they can take a photo of themselves making a ‘voter cross’ and share it on social media.

Lots of friends, lots of registrationsTHOMAS HUGHES McCLURE

Photos will be accompanied by a message saying they’ve encouraged a friend to register and that their friends should do the same. The message, including the hashtag #RegAFriend, will also link to the government registration website. 

Speaking about the importance of the student vote, President of the NUS, Tom Pearce, said: "Students look set to play a key role in determining the result of the general election, and politicians are right to recognise their importance."

"Students are calling for a new deal and for politicians to outline a positive vision for the future, and it is incredibly important that they are encouraged to take part in democracy, not kept out from it."

It is hoped that the campaign will encourage the thousands of students who are not yet registered to do so before the registration deadline next monthPANDORA LEYTON

Second year law student TK Egenti said of the campaign: “Advertising just how easy it is to register to vote should encourage more people to do it, seeing as it literally takes less than five minutes online.” However, he added that “more should be done to show young people that their MPs could have a large impact on their lives”.

The campaign began on the 19th March, and will run until 20th April, the deadline for voter registration. 

Voters can register online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote