The Premier yesterday gave his reasons for holding a general election the week before Christmas – to capitalise on the student vote.

In a letter e-mailed to selected Bermudian college students, Dr. Ewart Brown urged them to use their vote in an "historic" election, telling them December 18 was "chosen with you in mind".

Dr. Brown wrote: "December 18th is a date that falls in a window of time when I expect you will be on break from your studies. That being the case, I hope you will make arrangements to join us here in Bermuda to participate in this historic election. The date was chosen with you in mind.

"Over the past 12 months I have met a large number of Bermudian students committed to their studies. All of them have impressed me and challenged me. That's why I have been dedicated to student accessibility – visiting school campuses overseas, hosting youth town hall meetings, and meeting with students one-on-one during office hours. It's always important that the voices of our young people are heard; I hope they will be heard loudest on December 18th.

"Now is a good time to check that your voter registration details are up-to-date. It's important to do so as soon as possible. You can confirm you are properly registered online by visiting the website of the Parliamentary Registrar: www.elections.gov.bm.

"Meantime, your Government is working hard to improve the quality of public education in Bermuda and working to ensure there is a job waiting for you when you graduate from university. We are making positive advancements in those areas and in a variety of others.

"I hope you will seek the information necessary to be an informed voter and I look forward to your participation in the next General Election."