Things to know this week - 20 March 2023: Make a change in York

Posted on 20 March 2023

Welcome to a special student news summary of key things to know about the local elections taking place next term.

Voting to make a change in York

Local elections are taking place on Thursday 4 May in Week 3 of Summer Term. This decides the local councillors who deal with a range of issues that affect both students and the wider community in York, such as housing, travel, infrastructure and accessibility.

Don’t miss this incredibly important opportunity to shape the future of the City of York.

In local elections, you can vote in elections at both your term-time address and your vacation address (if these differ).

1. Register to vote by Monday 17 April

You must register to be able to vote. You can do this quickly and easily - you just need your national insurance number. You need to re-register to vote every time you move house. To register you must be: 

• 18 or over 
• A British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union Member State citizen
• Resident at a York address

2. You now need voter ID to vote in person

It is now compulsory that you take a form of photo identification with you when you vote in person. See accepted forms of voter ID, including driving licences and passports, but student cards are not accepted as ID for voting. You can apply for a free voter authority certificate online if you do not have a form of approved identification.

If you don’t want to vote in person, you can apply to vote by post. Applications to vote by post must be received by Tuesday 18 April.

3. Who to vote for?

We’re hosting a local elections hustings event on campus on Wednesday 19 April in Week 1 with representatives from all political parties. This is an opportunity to hear from, and question, the candidates on topics such as housing in the city, cost of living support, travel and transport and other student-related city policies. Don’t miss out on this important opportunity to hear from those involved in our city’s future. Book your free place at the local hustings event.

For more information about the local elections, see YUSU’s web page on Local Elections: Voting to make a change in York.

Other Government updates

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) warn of fraud risk to students
Have you ever been asked to let someone else ‘borrow’ your bank account to put money into it? If you aren’t sure about the source of the money, you could unwittingly be laundering money and this is a serious criminal offence, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. For further help and advice on what to do if you have been approached, see our information on scammers - they’re after your money.

Student news

Things to know this week is produced and distributed by the University's Internal Communications Team. Please email any feedback to university-internal-comms@york.ac.uk.