Tomorrow will see polling stations popping up all over the UK and adults over 18 will be exercising their right to vote. My daughter is very excited as this will be the first year that she can vote so she has been closely studying the different political parties and is determined to use her vote wisely.
Why bother voting?
Over the past few weeks I have heard people say that they won’t bother voting as the borough they live in is traditionally Conservative or Labour or that they don’t feel that they can influence government decisions so there is no point in getting involved with politics. I have brought my children up to understand that the right to vote was paid for in blood. In the past only the wealthy had the right to vote and then only the wealthy men. Within the last century women died in order to win the right to vote in England! People such as Emily Davison, who jumped under the King’s horse at the 1913 Derby, gave their lives in order to fight for the right for you and to be represented in Parliament. I will always vote to show my thanks that I have freedom and that I live in a democracy. Lets not forget, after all that black people in South Africa didn’t get the right to vote until 1994; I bet South African polling stations are full at elections!
Who to vote for?
It can be really difficult to decide who to vote for and who you choose to vote for is your decision; your vote is confidential and no one will know which way you voted. At this election you will be voting twice; once for local council and once for an MP. It’s worth reading all of the literature available and on both the candidates for parliament and local council to make sure you know what they stand for and the impact their opinions may have on you if they are voted in. You can see a history of how your current MP voted in Parliament on a variety of issues so it’s worth googling your MP and seeing whether they believe in the same things as you. A quick way of doing this is to use this link provided by the Telegraph Newspaper http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11522642/Election-2015-How-active-was-my-MP.html Don’t forget you can also email the candidates and call if there is anything you want to clarify (but you need to be quick as tomorrow is the big day!)
How to vote?
You will have received your poll card through the post and the address of the polling station you need to attend will be listed on the card, along with the opening hours. Polling stations open early and close late so you should be able to attend before or after work. When you arrive you will have to confirm who you are by showing the polling card to the clerk. They will give you the voting slips and you go into a booth to vote so that no one knows who you choose and the instructions are on the ballot paper! You literally mark your choice with an X. Once you have made your choice you take your paper, fold it in half and put it into the ballot box. It really is that simple!
What if you don’t have a Poll Card?
If you don’t have a poll card then it is highly likely that you aren’t registered to vote. It’s too late now for this election but you should contact your local council to make sure you are registered for the next election.
Can’t wait to take my daughter to vote with me tomorrow as this is a milestone in her life; she is shaping her own future by exercising her right to vote!
ohanameans 