Student unions in colleges and universities across the country have collectively registered over 20,000 students in massive voter drive ahead of next year’s marriage equality referendum.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has announced the registration of thousands of students on electoral registers countrywide, as the student movement gears up for a historic campaign to secure civil marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Ireland.

The total number students registered came to 20,210 in 21 campuses countrywide. The most first time voters registered came from UCC (3,500 registered), NUI Galway (300 registered) and NUI Maynooth (2,500 registered).

“Students have historically been a potent force for equality – many of those registered in the last few weeks have never cast a ballot, but have decided to convert their voices to votes for the issues they believe in,” said Laura Harmon, USI President.

Harmon hailed the work of the work of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) and Marriage Equality, for driving a general voter registration campaign, Yes Equality, which was also hugely successful. She also thanked Spun Out for it’s part in National Voter Registration Day, which was held on college campuses on 30 October.

“We had set a goal of ten thousand students registered – but Students’ Unions should be proud of their work to get so many students primed and ready for the polling booth – they have put in enormous effort and long hours to secure registrations.  When the referendum is eventually called, this work will pay off with a huge student effort to secure equal marriage for everyone.”