Cardiff’s one of the few places in the country where your vote counts, here’s how to make it matter

It’s a well-worn trope that young people never vote, yet students in Cardiff University’s Talybont halls could be a deciding factor in the battle over one of the country’s most hotly contested seats in the upcoming General Election.

In 2010, just two Taly North houses would have swung the vote in the Cardiff North constituency, as the Tories clinched the seat by fewer than 200 votes. Last time around, only 13 seats had a slimmer winning margin.

Yet, many freshers have told The Tab they will be passing up this opportunity, moving out of halls and voting at home. Even if you’ve already moved home, you can still postal vote and have a voice in Cardiff. It saves having to get out of bed on the day, too.

Candidates Craig Williams (Left) and Anna McMorrin (Right)

The current MP, Conservative Craig Williams, is being challenged by Welsh Labour’s Anna McMorrin. In 2015, his majority grew, but at just over 2,000 it’s still smaller than the total population of Taly.

Taly South resident Chloe, a Human and Social Sciences fresher whose home constituency of West Worcestershire is a perennial Conservative safe seat, says she won’t be voting in Cardiff because it’s simpler to vote at home. “I’ve already moved out so it’s unlikely that I’d travel to vote elsewhere,” she told The Tab. “I know about postal voting but I’ve already set up the other version so I think it’s all about convenience, to be honest.”

Susannah, a History fresher, said: “I think Taly will be very important, particularly for Labour votes.” Even so, she won’t be voting in Cardiff. “I’m going home,” Susannah explained, adding that she’s “moving out before the vote.”

Potential saviours of democracy gather outside an election hotspot

Convenience is a common theme, with Social Sciences fresher Ella telling us that “it’s just more convenient to vote at home because I’m already registered to vote there,” whilst coursemate Beth says voting at home is easier because she’ll be working over summer.

This isn’t about who you vote for. It’s about using your vote to have an impact. Even if you’ll be long gone from Cardiff by the time polling day rolls around, it’s still perfectly easy to do so. Register, and sign up for a postal vote.

To find out more details about both the candidates, you can visit Craig Williams’ site here, and Anna McMorrin’s here.

You can register to vote, including by postal vote, by this Monday, May 22nd here.