NUS Condemns Officials as Students Denied Vote

NUS Condemns Election Officials as Students Denied Right to Vote

For immediate release – Thursday 6 May 2010

The National Union of Students (NUS) has tonight condemned election officials after students were turned away from Ranmoor polling station in the Sheffield Hallam constituency as they attempted to vote.

There are also reports of delays in the key student seats of Manchester Withington, City of Chester and Hackney South and Shoreditch as students queued to vote in record numbers but faced huge delays and backlogs.

Many students had queued attempting to vote, but were denied the opportunity. It is reported that the backlog was the result of a decision to segregate student voters from other members of the electorate, the latter having been fast-tracked to receive voting cards.

Meanwhile in other constituencies polls were kept open to deal with a record backlog of voters.

Wes Streeting, NUS National President said:

“Where students and other voters have been disenfranchised, local authorities should hang their heads in shame. It is outrageous that citizens should be denied their basic right to vote and we demand inquiry into how this situation occurred.”

“We are alarmed by reports from Sheffield Hallam that students were placed in a separate, slower queue. Students’ unions have worked tirelessly to reverse the trend of low voter turnout amongst students and other young people. What message does this send to first time voters whose votes will not be counted?”

ENDS

© Scoop Media