Box-Ticking
I registered as a voter in the upcoming London elections today. This required printing and filling out a form and handing it in at my local town hall or posting it to them - not a hugely involved task but something that does take some dedication and effort. For someone used to the Finnish electoral system where the government knows exactly where you are and where you can vote it seems like a bit of a hurdle, though.
I knew I wanted to vote in the elections because mayoral politics definitely has a daily effect on life in London. The current mayor has certainly promoted the position as a cultural as well as political force, and whoever continues in the job will undoubtedly need to reinforce the “Mayor of London” brand further. Though the Mayor himself doesn’t have direct executive power, I have come to understand that City Hall does control what happens across London in many ways. In this way it matters who sits at the head of the table.
The LSE Students’ Union passed a motion mandating a campaign to get eligible students to register. However, as with a bunch of other supposed union campaigns I haven’t been confronted with much more than a feeble noticeboard on Houghton Street. Certainly there hasn’t been an awareness campaign that I’ve been made aware of. Good thing then that I was interested enough to go to http://www.londonelects.org.uk myself.
So, if you are eligible to vote in these (or any forthcoming) elections I suggest you do your bit to secure your right. I don’t give a toss about who you vote for. Well, for as long as it’s an informed choice that accurately reflects your opinions and desires, that is.