Last week on 22nd May local council elections and European elections took place. It was an opportunity for the people to show what they thought of the current administration in the UK.
Whether people supported the policies of the current government or stood diametrically opposed to their policies a short trip to a polling booth enabled registered voters to show where they stood. Do they agree with welfare reforms? Do they agree with continued membership of the European Union? Do the buses run on time? Is the economy on the way up? Why do they never receive a decent signal through their television when it rains?
No matter how trivial or important each question may seem to somebody else, an election gives the population their one genuine chance to get their voice heard.
So why did only 36 per cent of those eligible to vote bother to turn up? Since the vote took place I have heard several reasons why this is and what could be done to persuade people to turn out. People are disenchanted with politicians and politics. The way we vote is outdated as in the modern day of mobile technology and being able to pay for things through a mobile phone app we still have to vote using a piece of paper and a pencil.
In my opinion this is hogwash. Unless you are seriously ill, there is no excuse for not voting. The idea that people cannot be bothered to make a short trip of a few hundred yards to a polling station is just incredible. Being annoyed with politicians is hardly an excuse. Make a protest vote. Put your X by the Pirate Party or someone similar. Politicians take note when they lose to a serious party. Imagine their reaction if they lost to a man with a parrot on his shoulder demanding a national holiday for one-eyed Pete.
I’ve heard people arguing that it doesn’t matter if they don’t vote because the same people always win. Well, in my district Labour won by 20 votes. Twenty. Therefore it would only take take twenty one people to vote for the second placed candidate (or about three streets) to change the result. That is all it takes.
In the last General Election the highest proportion of votes came from the elderly with the lowest from the under 25s. What happened since were the introduction of tuition fees for students and protection of pensions. Politicians do pay attention to who votes, although it may not seem so at times, because if they lose an election they are out of a job.
Next time there is an election just take a moment to think about what matters to you. It doesn’t matter if it seems trivial. Does it matter to you? Look at your candidates. Which one suits your needs and supports what you believe in? Take the ten minute journey to the polling booth and vote. If you don’t then someone who you dislike may win and probably will.
An election is your vote and your voice. Be heard.
