More than 60% of 18-24 year olds do not vote and the number of young people voting has not reached the threshold of 50% for the past 25 years.
Peter Lesniak is the director of communications at Bite the Ballot
George Jean Nathan said a hundred years ago that ‘bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote’.
This statement is as true today as it was back then.
This is a call to action. For all those young potential voters, for those who feel disengaged with politics and democracy, for those apathetic to political challenges but also those highly involved and playing a role in their communities and society as a whole.
These are the facts: More than three-fifths of 18-24 year olds do not vote and the number of young people voting has not reached the threshold of 50% for the past 25 years.
This means more than 2.5 million young people have not had their say for over quarter of the century. Why, you ask yourself?
From a young person’s perspective our democratic institutions often have nothing to offer them. Firstly, there seems to be no response to their voices, even if they try to reach out. Tuition fees protests and riots demonstrated total lack of trust in our democratic system, or rather in the decision-making process.
Secondly, younger generations are not being taught the very basics of how to engage in the political process. There is a fundamental lack of practical knowledge about our democracy among young people coming out of education.
Thirdly, and most importantly, there was no platform of engagement and communication between young people and politics. Until now…
Having built the foundations of a nationwide grassroots network and having gained support from all major political parties, the Bite the Ballot campaign will use this to create a unique and genuinely youth-led political manifesto to give young people the chance to put across their views to policy-makers in government for the first time.
• It’s all about turnout 24 Apr 2012
• The grey ghosts of election ’92 could return unless voter registration is stepped up 15 Apr 2012
• Clegg under fire over voter registration, party funding and youth unemployment 15 Nov 2011
• The coalition are conspiring to lock the left out of the electoral process 23 Oct 2011
• Harman: Lib Dems “colluding” with Tories to deny millions the vote 29 Sep 2011
With the official support from the manifesto-writers, the ‘My Manifesto’ project will help to bring about a revolutionary change in the way politicians perceive young people’s views but, most importantly, it will also give us, young people, something to vote for.
Here are three simple steps to contribute to the youth manifesto: 1) Watch the video; 2) Complete our survey; 3) Make a change!
This is a chance for each and every one of us to make our voices heard. Let us challenge the common misconceptions and project our views and concerns to those in positions of power and influence.
Show them that the silent generation, a vote-not-worth-winning, is not silent anymore. Make them take into account our perceptions, problems, ideas and suggestions and let the millions of young people across the country become a strong voice in the society.
I’ve had my say – now will you have yours?
40 Responses to “Between apathy and hope – your chance to give yourself something to vote for!”
Wolfie
Where/how did you get from the European Left to ‘‘gulags and gas chambers’’ the Front de Gauche and Syriza belong to a long tradition of Marxist resistance which opposed both the excesses of Stalinism and Fascism. When it mattered most in Germany, France and across Europe including Britain the liberal political bourgeoisie were happy to allow the fascists to attack Jews, Gypsies, the disabled and trade unionist. Whereas communists and socialist were at the forefront of the resistance movement from Germany, France, Greece and across Europe and most successfully in Yugoslavia under Josip Tito’s leadership. The European Left under the leadership of Pierre Laurent national secretary of the Parti Communiste Français along with the likes of Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the Front de Gauche and Alexis Tsipras’ left coalition Syriza have nothing to do with gulags and gas chambers, this is an insulting remark which I would like an apology for any suggestion that as a Marxist I am or anyone who supports a left alternative to the neo-liberal economic and neo-conservative political project is associated with.
Wolfie
is associated with either Fascism or Stalinist national-bolshevism.
Wolfie
Selohesra, as Newsbot and fjeffit have indicated we have the Tory and Liberal parties plus new/blue-Labour all representing the class that expropriates the wealth created by the working classes and therefore wishes to redistribute spending on health care, education, pensions, unemployment and disability benefits from ordinary people to an over privileged minority who can afford private health, education etc. on their already bloated salaries and bonuses and from tax avoidance and evasion get out of paying their share towards maintaining a civilized society in which we all hope to live.
Newsbot9
To anyone who isn’t on your far right, I see. Entirely typical.
Newsbot9
Given your views, the only actual question is if you’re NF, BNP, EDL or another section of the far right.
How many million in this country will you kill? It’s hallways the same, fanatics are fanatics and always lead purges.
I’m a gradualist for a reason.