Cambridge MP Julian Huppert has pushed the government to ensure that planned changes to the process of registering to vote do not prevent students from being able to take part in general and local elections.

The current system registers students to vote on arrival at university; in the case of Cambridge through their colleges. The government has proposed the introduction of an individual registration system whereby students will have to register themselves independently.

Speaking to Varsity, Huppert outlined his concerns: “[S]tudents are a special case, moving every year, and there is a risk they will end up not going on the register.

“Previously, colleges registered students automatically, but this will change. I worry that many students at the University of Cambridge will therefore miss out.

“At Anglia Ruskin University, very few students are on the register now. Students may not realise that they can register in Cambridge as well as their home, and may not know what they have to do – or may not get round to it in time.”

In the House of Commons on 19th November, Huppert asked Greg Clark, Minister for Cities and Constitution, what steps are being taken to tackle this problem. Clark responded that extra funding will be directed towards electoral offices in areas with high student populations in order to allocate resources to encourage students to register.

The representation of Cambridge students in elections has been questioned before. Dr Peter Sarris, senior fellow of history at Trinity College, stood as a Labour candidate for the Newnham seat in this year’s local elections in May, but was defeated by the Liberal Democrat candidate by a 7.4 per cent margin. Dr Sarris said that despite receiving an estimated 55 per cent of the student vote, “not enough students turned out”.

Like Huppert, Dr Sarris is worried that “in many marginal seats it could have a significant effect” on election results if the government were to go ahead with the proposed changes.

Some have pointed out that in the current climate, Huppert’s advocacy of student voting rights might hinder his own chances at re-election.

Phelim Brady, Chair of the Cambridge Universities Labour Club, said: “I’m glad to see that Julian Huppert is aware of this issue, but sadly it’s his party, the Lib Dems, who have pushed through these harmful changes.

In fact, when this bill came to the Commons last year Huppert voted with the Tories against a Labour amendment which would have explicitly mandated local election officers to write to students with registration forms.”

Brady added: “It’s important that as many students as possible vote in Cambridge in 2015 so we can remove the Lib Dems from office.”

Regardless of the potential loss of votes for himself, Huppert insists: “Students deserve their say in how their local area and the country as a whole works... however they may vote, I want them to have the chance to do so.”