Your Voting Voice

Voting is a right which, as members of a democratic country, we have. It is a necessary means to govern a country democratically. In the UK (this is a English centred post, sorry), unless you are in prison, you can vote once you are 18 years old. To be able to exercise this right, you have to be on the electoral register (you can register from the age of 16). If you satisfy these requirements, then you should be registered and ready to vote.
The reason why I wanted to create this blog post was, primarily, due to the upcoming European Elections which will be held on 22nd May. Begrudgingly, I am unable to vote in these elections because I am a July baby (I personally think it's ridiculous that someone who will turn 18 in less than 2 months at the time of voting should be excluded but hey, that's the law).
So, as I am unable to vote, I thought I'd first address the growing issue that many young people (or at least from what I've gathered from Sixth Form and other places where I might have contact with Youths) don't see the point of voting. The most common phrases I've heard are "Whats the point?", "All the parties are the same anyway" , or "It doesn't change anything". After curling up in a ball and crying for 20 minutes, I try and challenge these statements and explain why these are misconceptions which have sadly become the norm. I'm not trying to make these people feel stupid, I'm trying to make them understand that voting is a vital part of living in a democracy. If everybody held their views, nobody would vote and we wouldn't have any say in how our country is run which I believe has been tried and tested- and it sucks.
I could give you a long list of why you should vote, but the best reasons are listed on the AboutMyVote website which is GREAT (and unbiased)! Not only does it break down the political jargon (which made me really happy) but it guides you through the process of understanding the voting system.

Secondly, I wanted to point out all the 'bits and bobs' surrounding the European Elections.

• Who can I vote for? Each bit of the UK has separate candidates (see your list here). Each political party puts forward a list of candidates, and you have one vote for a list.
• Wait, so what gets elected? Members of European Parliament (MEPs) are elected to represent a region depending on the overall votes for that region. 
• Why is this so important? The powers of the European parliament have increased since 2009 so your vote will make a difference. The MEPs that you elect will, for the first time, choose who will head the European Commission (more info here). PLUS, whichever political party gets the majority within each region, and overall in the UK, will have a certain amount of power within the European parliament and will probably influence how people vote in the General Election next year.
• I want Britain to leave the EU. Okay, fine. please don't vote UKIP.
• What is wrong with UKIP? I shouldn't have to tell you, but here is a nice little article from the Guardian about it.

So get registered and go and vote on 22nd May! The polling stations are situated pretty much everywhere and they're open 7am-10pm so you will have time. You should have received a polling card through the post by now, but you don't need it to vote (you can take it with you for funzies).

If you're still confused, the links to AboutMyVote and the European Parliament website are really helpful and will help you through every step of the way

Please don't vote UKIP, they are super super dodgy and dangerous and racist.

Please vote. If you're still not convinced, just think of me; the poor political 17 year old who is restricted by 2 lousy months.

Thanks for reading,
Kitty x