Elections take place across the UK in all different ways. From large scale elections such as General Elections, where people vote for who is representing them in government, to Students’ Union elections, where students like you can choose who represents them at university level, it’s really important to know what they are and how you can get involved.

One thing that stays consistent across elections in this country is that they all give you the chance to have your opinion heard and count. Around 4,500 of you cast over 14,000 votes in our last SU election, allowing us to elect a fantastic new officer team for 2024/25.

There are local and regional elections that will be taking place on Thursday 2 May 2024. These elections give you the chance to have your say and make changes on the future of Coventry and the West Midlands, and so it’s important to make sure you know how to get involved. You also have the chance to elect a new mayor to run the West Midlands Combined Authority.

These elections affect lots of things in Coventry and the West Midlands such as roads, youth centres, libraries, schools and so much more. No matter how long you’re planning to stay in Coventry, the people elected will have a say in how things are handled here in the city. Changes to your bus route into campus? More licenses for bars and restaurants to set up in the city? These things are all impacted by the local and regional council in the area.

You need to be registered to vote in these elections. The deadline for registering to vote is 11:59pm on Tuesday 16 April – visit gov.uk/registertovote to make sure you're on the electoral register and able to place your vote on 2 May. You can also apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote if you’d prefer. Visit Coventry City Council’s website for more information.

It’s also really important to remember, if you’re voting in a polling station, you’ll need to take a form of photo ID. See what is accepted by visiting the Government’s website.

You may not know much about local or regional politics, but we would definitely recommend students register to vote. It can benefit you in other ways; for example, it can help you in any situation where you get a credit check like buying a car, applying for a mortgage or even getting a phone contract.

Register to vote and make a difference in your local area.