Students Urged to Enrol to Vote

31 May 2005

Students Urged to Enrol to Vote

Otago University Students' Association president Steven Sutton today urged students to make sure they are enrolled to vote.

Figures released by the Electoral Enrolment Commission this morning show that 1,242 voters from Dunedin North have been removed from the electoral roll due to not updating their details. This means that the Dunedin North electorate has had more voters removed from the roll than any electorate apart from Wellington Central.

“We are concerned about this because the Dunedin North electorate is where most of Otago's student population reside” said Mr. Sutton. “Students, especially those aged 18-24, are woefully under-represented in electoral enrolment figures, so we are urging young people to get out and enrol. Students also tend to shift flats frequently, so it's essential that those who are enrolled keep their details up-to-date. Otherwise come election day the student voice could be stifled.”

Students (and everyone else) have till 17 June to enrol to vote. There has been a voter enrolment stall on campus regularly over the last few weeks, and txt enrolment has also proved popular with students.

ENDS

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