In the run up to the general election you may be asking two questions: ‘why should I vote?’ and ‘does my vote really count?’  Whilst your vote may not be a tie-breaker, it is important for young people to vote in order for their wishes to be represented in parliament.

Currently, the elderly are more likely to vote, giving them more power over the outcome of the election.  In contrast, the proportion of registered 18 to 24-year-olds turning out to vote has consistently been below every other age group since the 1970s; young adults in the UK are among the least engaged in politics across Europe.

So why is this an issue?

Politicians know which age groups are likely to vote and therefore target their policies at these voting groups.  Some would argue that this means it’s much less pressing for political parties to formulate policies to benefit young people, as it’s less likely to get them votes. 

Currently the older vote is an election decider.  However, this can be changed; with roughly 6 million 18-25 year olds in the UK, attracting the younger vote could be crucial in winning the election.  If more young people vote, the needs of the youth will become more important to politicians which can only be a positive thing.

To encourage young voters there are a few things that should be focussed on.  Firstly, voting should certainly be online to make voting easily accessible.  Moreover, voting could be made compulsory where you could receive a small fine which acts as an incentive to vote, a system currently used in Australia.  Additionally, Voter Advice Applications (VAAs) could be used universally, as in Germany, which aims to help potential voters compare their views and values with the political parties on a variety of issues.  A user simply agrees or disagrees with a set of statements and they are paired with a political party most likely to suit them.  This is a system perfectly suited to young populations.

So the key issue here is that there is limited youth vote as politicians’ policies do not appeal to them, but politicians do not aim their policies at the youth because currently this is not winning votes.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of politicians to break this cycle and I think technology is the key enabler.