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Time to vote

On Thursday 5th May you get the chance to decide the future of your County Council and the National Government. Many people are of the opinion that it doesn’t matter whether they vote or not because it will not make the slightest difference to their lives as the politicians are all the same and are only in it for themselves.

This where you will have to take a stand and vote to see a change in the way things are done. Voting is something that you will only do occasionally if you really want to make a difference then you will need to get involved. Don’t expect to change things overnight democracy doesn’t work that way.

There are many different phrases used to describe political power and how to get it.
Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Party said, “Political power grows from the barrel of a gun”
Others have said that politics is “the art of the possible” or “politics is power”
In the US, President Abraham Lincoln said “You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” 8th September 1858.

Each of these has a measure of truth about them, even Mao’s, but in Norfolk today you will have to get involved not through the long march and a revolution against the nationalist government and the occupying powers or by fighting a civil war and free the slaves. Instead you will need to look at the issues that affect your life and see how they can best be tackled through the democratic institutions we have here.

Below are some possible ways of getting involved

1
Use your vote --- every vote, in every election, counts…

2
Find out about the different political parties and join one.

3
If you are a member of a political party member they may have a youth wing you could get involved with contact your branch to find out. Equally you may be in a trade union and they would like you to become involved to help.

4
Get involved with the policy making bodies of the party you chose. This is a chance to be in at the ground floor of policy making. Each party does it in a different way so check out how they do it .

5
If you’re a student get involved with the student branch of the party, or one of the political societies or pressure groups at your university or college, or find out about the National Union of Students.

6
Register to vote and make sure your friends and family are registered.

7
Get involved in a local campaign and help elect candidates in the local area.

8
Email or write to your local councillor via your local council (to find your local council address go to UpMyStreet or Member of Parliament at the House of Commons London SW1A OAA or get their email addresses from www.parliament.uk')> parliament.uk. Remember to put your postal address in your letter/email if you are a constituent as you are more likely to get a thorough response.

9
If you feel strongly about an issue, go on a demo or start a petition .

10
Talk about politics with your friends and family.

Go to our election pages for more information:Local Elections
County Council Election
General Election

Disclaimer, Target Audience, Jurisdiction Last updated & checked: 30/03/2006