In the run up to the UK General Election on July 4 I have found myself questioning whether there is any other right in society that goes unused as much as the right to vote.
It frustrates me that some people do not understand the power they can exercise with a cross on a ballot paper.
The idea that ‘one vote doesn’t make a difference’ - as one young person told me last week - is a misrepresentation of reality.
In 2017, for example, the General Election in the North East Fife constituency was decided by two single votes.
Hypothetically, if three first-time voters in St Andrews, Fife had not showed up, then the representation that thousands of people in that constituency received would look very different.
This clearly shows the power that is present in each and every vote and emphasises why the opportunity to vote should never be passed up on.
I often hear that young people don’t care about politics. This notion, in my experience, is simply inaccurate.
When I speak to young people they are aware of the realities that we face.
They understand that gaining employment in Inverclyde is becoming more difficult, they understand that the prospect of becoming a homeowner feels distant, and they understand that everything costs more than it used to.
Young people show up when it matters and 3,500 young people in Inverclyde have already voted this year.
They voted in the Scottish Youth Parliament Elections of February 2024 that led me to be writing this column today.
I saw during that campaign the hope and ideas that young people have for this area. I saw the determination to bring about real change and I saw a generation who see through political spin and embrace common sense.
Young people are ready to participate in politics locally but they will only engage if they begin to see leaders who share their values, leaders who are honest about what they can achieve.
The young people I speak to simply view politicians as people who promise anything to get elected but that is not what public service is about.
True public service is about listening to everyone in society, of all ages, whether they agree with you or not and having the ability to respectfully disagree.
I have met some local politicians who possess these qualities but often, sadly, they are in the minority.
The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is June 18.
I encourage all young people to register and I say to the Tele’s readership: teach the young people in your life about the importance of voting.
Tell them about those who died for the right to vote and make sure to demonstrate the power of your one vote by taking them to the polling station with you.
I have every faith that Inverclyde’s young people will turnout in this election.
They showed up in February for the Youth Parliament and they will show up once again because the days of being disengaged are over.
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