You may have heard that there is a General Election happening on Thursday 4th July.

This is an opportunity for you to have a say on how the country is run and the issues that are important to you.

Young people, especially those from lower income and racially minoritised backgrounds, are less likely to vote despite facing some of the biggest challenges. Decisions that the Government makes will have a huge impact on your future. Your voice needs to be heard!

How to vote

To vote in the General Election on Thursday 4th July you'll need:

• to be registered to vote by 11.59pm on June 18th - you can do that here. You'll need to give some basic information, such as your name, address and your National Insurance number. 
• to bring a form of photo ID with you on polling day - check what is accepted here. Your ID can be expired, as long as the photo still looks like you. 

If you don't have any photo ID you can apply for a Citizen Card here (use code DEMOCRACY to get it for free) Deadline for applications in time for polling day is Thursday 20th June.

Or you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate here. Deadline to get this in time for polling day is 5pm Wednesday 26th June.

Once you are registered to vote you'll be sent a poll card - this will tell you where your polling station is. You'll need to go here with your ID between 7am and 10pm on polling day to cast your vote. Find out more about what happens at the polling station here.

You can register to vote as soon as you are aged 16 but you won't be able to vote in the general election unless you are aged 18 or over on polling day.

Going away or working on July 4th?

If you can't get to a polling station on July 4th for any reason, you can apply to vote by post here. Deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm Wednesday 19th June.

Or you can apply for a proxy vote here - which means someone else can vote on your behalf. Deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm Wednesday 26th June.

Students living away from home

Students can vote using their college/university address or their home address. It is legal to be registered in two areas, but a criminal offence to vote in both. If you are already registered at your home address, but not going to be there on July 4th, you could use a postal vote or proxy vote.

Extra benefits of registering to vote

Even if you don’t want to vote, getting on the voting register helps to improve your credit score and lets you serve on a jury panel. 

Want to know more?

For lots more information about the election, how to vote, who you can vote for and what the different parties stand for - check out the Democracy Classroom website. For extra help to get registered visit the Just Register website.