Bite the Ballot, a campaigning charity which aims to persuade young people to engage in politics, is urging young people in Bishop Auckland to make use of their vote in the forthcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.
Megan Patterson, County Durham, Community Engagement Officer for the charity said: “The biggest difficulty in the job is trying to change the mind-set of individuals. When you meet someone
who has chosen never to vote and has a through mistrust of the political system, our job can be tough.
“My answer however is simple: politics may be the problem – the reason why we don’t want to vote – but politics is also the solution. The only way to change anything is to use our voice, turn up and work with the system.
“If we don’t turn out on polling day, other people will make decisions for us that favour them.
“There are many who say they don’t want to vote because ‘politicians are liars’ and that ‘they’re all as bad as each other so why bother voting’. It is for precisely this reason that change doesn’t happen. If we continue to avoid taking part in politics, politicians need fewer and fewer votes to get into power: governments will be able to get away with more because we don’t vote.
“Change can happen but we must prove that we want change to happen.Turn up on 23rd June 2016.
“Bite The Ballot is running the #TurnUp campaign on Twitter to give voices back to those who feel shunned and neglected by the political system. For us every voice matters and that’s why we want to engage with those furthest away from the corridors of power.”
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
