Are you going to vote? A question that if presented to the majority of the people in college would be “don’t know” or “probably not.” But with the general election in May 2015, and with many of us in college having the right to vote for who we think should be leading this country on our behalf, it begs the question why many of us are still so uninterested in our vote.
Personally I believe, through observation and personal experience, that young people as a whole remain uninterested in politics in general due to a lack of information, or to put it bluntly ignorance.
How can young people be asked to be interested in something and then make a decision when they know relatively nothing about the subject matter at hand. For instance recently on the train I overheard another college student ask their friends who David Cameron was, once they were informed that he is in fact the Prime Minister they replied that they thought he was a footballer.
This is a clear example of a lack of information. If they don’t even know who the current prime minister is how can they make an informed vote for the next one?
But more is needed than just knowing the main leader of the party, you need to know their policies, what they say they are going to do. Although the media does release details of some of their policies, to know enough to make an informed vote you need to research more in depth, for example you can read their manifesto.
Here are some pointers to help you to help yourself become more informed:
- Listen to the news and the party broadcasts.
- Research what each party promises to do (manifesto).
- Look at what they have done in the past.
- Talk to other people.
At the end of the day politicians want votes, as votes get them into power, so they will therefore make policies that are targeted at the groups of people who vote. If you want the government to make policies that are benefiting young people then you need to make an informed vote at the next election, so that young people can be a voting force.
