UCU backs National Voter Registration Day and warns that politicians thrive on apathy

The union said it understood people's frustrations at politics and politicians, but said if they did not register to vote, and express that frustration on polling day, then politicians were even more likely to ignore their concerns.

The union said it was unhappy with changes to voter registration, which saw the number of young people eligible to vote fall by half last year after universities were blocked from registering students en masse.

UCU is working with the National Union of Students (NUS) and campaign group Bite The Ballot to promote voter registration and is encouraging its local branches to team up with students' unions to encourage staff and students to register vote.

The Conservative party received the highest number of votes at the last election (just under 11 million). However, twice as many people (22 million) didn't vote at all. UCU said elections should not be decided by the people who do not vote and politicians should not be able to rely on apathy.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'It is absolutely vital that people register to vote this year. They have the opportunity to shape one of the least predictable and most exciting elections in recent history.

'No matter how disillusioned you are with politics and politicians, if you don't register to vote you only increase the likelihood of being ignored. Statistics show that politicians don't need anywhere like a real majority to get elected. The fact they can rely on voter apathy to get elected makes a mockery of our democratic system.

'The only way you can have your say and change that is by making sure you register to vote now and cast your ballot on polling day.'

Follow events via the National Voter Registration Day hashtag at #NVRD

Download joint UCU/NUS materials here.

Register to vote here.