The Island Independent Group is hoping that young people across the Isle of Wight will be exercising their democratic right to vote in the local elections this week.
The circumstances surrounding last week’s resignation of Andrew Turner is said to have shown that young people have the power to influence political events and give effect to their views and concerns.
There are many local issues which are important to young people that the Council deals with. The Island Independents say those representing the community and dealing with those issues should be representative of residents of all ages and that young people should make sure they have voices they are happy with acting on their behalf.
Julia Baker Smith, Leader of the Island Independent Group said:
“I hope that we will see a much increased vote from those aged under 25 in the current local elections. There are so many issues that affect those in this age range, including further and higher education, apprenticeships and affordable housing, that we need to be sure those representing the community are taking the views of those closely affected by these issues into their decision making.
“We need to see a more diverse and representative Council after the current elections. The young vote is key to achieving that. If they can force our MP to resign they can certainly guide how our local authority acts in the coming years.”
Information on how to vote and where to vote can be found on the Electoral Commission ‘Your Vote Counts’ website at https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/how-do-i-vote/voting-in-person. Polling stations are open from 07:00-22:00 on Thursday to give as much opportunity as possible for everyone to vote.
