The general election is creeping closer and closer and now that the party manifestos are out, promises have been made and campaign memes have been shared, you’re probably (hopefully) starting to have a proper think about who you want to vote for on 8 June.
But have you had a good think about where to vote? It can feel a bit confusing when you’re a student and/or don’t live at home, but beyond making sure you’re registered to vote in the first place (deadline is Monday 22 May btw, so go and get yourself signed up. And if you get five of your mates to register and send us the confirmation screenshots you could win an exclusive T-Shirt) understanding where that vote will make the biggest difference can be a bit more complicated to work out.
That’s where ge2017.com comes in. Despite how shit memories of the EU Referendum may make you feel on a rainy day, every vote does indeed count. But this website allows you to compare your home and university postcodes to find out where your vote is most powerful. For example, if your university constituency is a safe seat for one party but your home constituency is a contested seat between two, your vote at home will have a bigger impact.
It’s worth knowing that the website is still in beta, but it explains that to work out where your vote has the most power: ‘We’ve factored in: GE2015 results (who won, by how much, was it a surprise); changes in results over time local betting odds; local student population and EU referendum results’.
As a student, you can be registered to vote both at home and in your university town, so take advantage of your options and make where you do decide to cast your vote count. It’s a no-brainer.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.