A while back I wrote a blog post about election basics. This was aimed at "grown ups", as a lot of my friends had reached adulthood without really understanding politics, why they should vote and who they should vote for.
Something interesting happened at the last election in June 2017 - as well as some unexpected results, there was also an increase in the number of young people voting - as this Ipsos MORI article shows. Having had a really interesting chat at work yesterday about getting the Youth Council more involved in the work of the Council, I thought it would be good to do a blog post aimed more at young people - not in a patronising, you-wouldn't-understand-the-grown-up-one way, but because there are very specific reasons why young people can make a difference if they show up and use their vote...as the last election proved!
I have gathered together some basic sources which I hope will be a good introduction for young people who may never have voted before.
Why Vote?
As I wrote in my original post, the most important reason to vote is because it is all about you. Politicians make decisions about you and for you, and the point of elections is to give you a say about who makes those decisions. There are quite a few sites aimed specifically at getting young people involved in politics and voting. These are my favourites:
The League for Young Voters site is a good starting point for young people looking to vote for the first time. They have a nice little animation too which sums things up pretty nicely. Through this site you can also get involved in helping to encourage others to vote.
The Voting Counts site also has lots of information including why you should vote, as well as a guide to the main parties and the different types of elections (including local ones - the most important, obvs!). They also have an active Twitter feed (@VotingCountsUK) which is worth a follow.
Can young people really make a difference?
Yes! Below are some links to resources about why young people specifically should vote, and why this made a difference at the last election.
This graph shows the results of a YouGov poll looking at voting by age group at the 2017 election:
How do I vote?
You need to register to vote - you can do this online through the government's website at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
The actual process of voting is very simple. When an election is coming up, you will receive a polling card, confirming you are registered and telling you where your polling station is. On election day, you go to that polling station, and cast your vote - any time between 7am and 10pm. If you've never voted before, there will be some helpful people on hand (perhaps me if you're lucky!) to guide you through the process - if in doubt, just ask.
If you can't make it to the polling station on election day, you can register for a postal vote, but you need to do this in advance - contact the elections office in your local council to set this up.
Who should I vote for?
This is where things get complicated! Only you can decide who to vote for, but there are plenty of resources available to help you make up your mind. Before each election, news sites such as the BBC will publish summaries of the different parties and what they are offering. The Vote for Policies site also provides a questionnaire of your views, and matches these to the promises and commitments of the main parties (currently based on the 2017 election, but they update it at every general election).
Interested in learning more?
This website of a-level study materials gives you a bit more of the academic background on political theory if you're into it (I am, thousands aren't...)
This article from The Day news website, aimed specifically at young people, gives some ideas on how you can explore different ideas at school or in your friendship groups - for example, by debating whether the voting age should be dropped, or whether voting should be made compulsory.
I have gathered together some basic sources which I hope will be a good introduction for young people who may never have voted before.
Why Vote?
As I wrote in my original post, the most important reason to vote is because it is all about you. Politicians make decisions about you and for you, and the point of elections is to give you a say about who makes those decisions. There are quite a few sites aimed specifically at getting young people involved in politics and voting. These are my favourites:
The League for Young Voters site is a good starting point for young people looking to vote for the first time. They have a nice little animation too which sums things up pretty nicely. Through this site you can also get involved in helping to encourage others to vote.
The Voting Counts site also has lots of information including why you should vote, as well as a guide to the main parties and the different types of elections (including local ones - the most important, obvs!). They also have an active Twitter feed (@VotingCountsUK) which is worth a follow.
Can young people really make a difference?
Yes! Below are some links to resources about why young people specifically should vote, and why this made a difference at the last election.
This graph shows the results of a YouGov poll looking at voting by age group at the 2017 election:
NUS article - 16 reasons why young people should vote
The Day article - 7 myths that were busted at the last election
How do I vote?
You need to register to vote - you can do this online through the government's website at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
The actual process of voting is very simple. When an election is coming up, you will receive a polling card, confirming you are registered and telling you where your polling station is. On election day, you go to that polling station, and cast your vote - any time between 7am and 10pm. If you've never voted before, there will be some helpful people on hand (perhaps me if you're lucky!) to guide you through the process - if in doubt, just ask.
If you can't make it to the polling station on election day, you can register for a postal vote, but you need to do this in advance - contact the elections office in your local council to set this up.
Who should I vote for?
This is where things get complicated! Only you can decide who to vote for, but there are plenty of resources available to help you make up your mind. Before each election, news sites such as the BBC will publish summaries of the different parties and what they are offering. The Vote for Policies site also provides a questionnaire of your views, and matches these to the promises and commitments of the main parties (currently based on the 2017 election, but they update it at every general election).
Interested in learning more?
This website of a-level study materials gives you a bit more of the academic background on political theory if you're into it (I am, thousands aren't...)
This article from The Day news website, aimed specifically at young people, gives some ideas on how you can explore different ideas at school or in your friendship groups - for example, by debating whether the voting age should be dropped, or whether voting should be made compulsory.
