Young People: The Next Election’s Voters

I remember my 18th birthday very well , which isn’t common to hear nowadays. I was so insanely excited for my 18th, not because I wanted to go out clubbing, not because I wanted to buy alcohol at the bottle shop, not even because I could finally became a Qantas Club member — but because I could vote.

I wouldn’t consider myself a particularly emotional person, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear or two at Turner School the very first time I cast my vote in a federal election — my voice would finally be counted. The most empowering feeling in a democracy is being able to vote.

I do not live in a swing seat. Whether I turned up to vote or not would make little to no difference on the outcome in the Lower House. There may be some impact of my vote in the Upper House. So why take time out of my Saturday once every couple of years to vote? Aside from the fact that it really takes hardly any time at all, the fact I could get into trouble if I didn’t do it and the fact I would miss out on democracy sausage if I abstained from voting, our entire political system rests on my vote. And yours. And everyone’s. If we all made the choice not to show up to vote, then we all would be saying goodbye to democracy.

Therefore, I believe everyone who is eligible to vote should vote. One of my favourite quotes of all time is by…