This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Aberdeen chapter.
We don’t just vote for nights out and tequila
Disclaimer: I’m not here to tell you who you should vote for. This is just a reminder of the importance of voting, specifically the reasons why young people should vote. With less than a month until the election (Dec 12th, 2019), it’s super important to be aware of what’s going on and what you can do.
- Every single vote counts. There is always somebody who claims that their vote won’t make a difference to the outcome, but that one vote can and will influence the results. If everybody who assumes their vote is meaningless actually voted, the results could be entirely different.
- Voting shows the people in power that our age group needs to be represented. There is such a negative stigma that suggests young people don’t care about their future enough to vote, or they’re too young to have a political opinion. That simply isn’t the case.
- Our thoughts, concerns, and interests need to be represented and taken seriously. That can only happen if young people are willing to vote and demand that their voices are heard. Political parties are more likely to be uninterested if they know we aren’t in favour of their policies.
- Even if you’re not very political and you just want to vote for a smaller party that are unlikely to gain power as a result of the election, you’re still achieving political participation. You’re still making your voice heard.
- You can register to vote in your hometown AND where you’re studying at University. If you’re unsure about where you’re going to be on December 12th, you can register at both addresses.
- There are no excuses. It can be super overwhelming and misleading to know exactly which policies each party is proposing, especially with bias within the media. But it can take a few moments of your time to research the values of each party online, or by speaking to someone who knows more about it. Educate yourself, and understand the policies of the party you choose to vote for.
- If we don’t vote, we will inevitably suffer more in the future. 18-25 year olds have the lowest statistics in terms of how many of us are actually voting. This means political parties will stop representing our interests in the future because we’re not being taken seriously. By not voting, we’re admitting to not being interested in our own futures. And the younger you are, the longer you’ll endure the repercussions.
- It takes 2 minutes. There are literally no excuses. Find your nearest polling station, go with your friends, but just go. Not voting is NOT a rebellion.