Local Elections 2021
Local elections are taking place on Thursday 6 May in Coventry and Warwickshire, and across the UK. As a student, you may be able to vote at both your home address and your term-time address.
The deadline for electoral registration for the upcoming elections has now passed but if you missed it, you can still add your name to the electoral register for future elections.
Read the joint statement on the West Midlands mayoral election and local elections by the University of Warwick and Warwick Students' Union.
Why should you vote in the local elections?
How you cast your vote in the local elections can determine the services available where you live, including all sorts: housing, transport, libraries, leisure centres, policing, safety, rubbish and recycling. Councillors, Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners impact your day-to-day life, and this is the easiest way to influence them.
These elections can be won and lost by only a few votes, so what you do could really make an impact!
How to register to vote
Students living on or off campus
Where do I go to vote?
If you live on campus, your polling station is in the Ramphal Building.
If you live off campus or at home, you can find the address of your polling station on your poll card. This should have been posted to your address. You may be able to find out on www.wheredoivote.co.uk
If your home and university addresses are in two different local authority areas, you can vote in local elections in both areas. This is because they are separate elections. Find out more.
If you live on campus, you will either vote in the Coventry or Warwickshire elections, depending on which side of campus you live (your poll card that you receive in the post will tell you which local authority election you are eligible to vote in):
- On campus Warwickshire voters can vote in two elections: Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
- On campus Coventry voters can vote in three elections: Coventry City Council, West Midlands Mayor, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
Students living off campus will receive a poll card in the post if they register to vote and the staff at the polling station will let you know which elections to vote in:
- Off campus Warwickshire voters (e.g. Kenilworth or Leamington Spa) may be able to vote in a combination of County Council, Town Council, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. If you live in Leamington Spa, there is also a Neighbourhood Plan referendum.
- Off campus Coventry voters may be able to vote in a combination of City Council, Police and Crime Commissioner, and West Midlands Mayor elections.
Students living at home
If your home and university addresses are in two different local authority areas, you can vote in local elections in both areas. This is because they are separate elections. Find out more.
If you have a term time address in the local area around the University but are currently living at home, you can cast an absent vote, i.e. postal vote or proxy vote. The deadline to register for an absent vote has now passed, except for emergency proxy votes.
Emergency proxy vote
Proxy voting means that if you aren’t able to cast your vote in person, you can have someone you trust cast your vote for you.
If you have had a medical emergency that took place after 5pm, on the sixth working day before the poll which means that you cannot vote in person at your polling station, you can apply to vote by emergency proxy (someone else voting on your behalf). You can apply until 5pm on polling day.
If you are self-isolating, you can request a proxy vote until 5pm on polling day.
Find out how to Register to Vote
The deadline for voter registration has now passed for the 6 May elections, but you can still register to vote for future elections.