Monday, April 19, 2010

32 hours to give yourself a chance to bring about change that works for you

Give or take a few minutes, there are 32 hours until 5pm tomorrow - that is the absolute deadline for registering to vote.

If your name is not on the electoral register by then, even if something happens before May 6th that really passionately makes you want to have your say you will not be able to cast your vote. You can find out more about registering to vote here. Registration is easy - you just need to fill in a form which you can download from that site and send it first class today, or hand it in to your electoral registration office tomorrow.

I can't imagine not having my say - and when you think about it, I haven't yet had a Government which has matched my political views and many which I feel have really damaged the country, but if I sit at home and don't bother to make my feelings felt, how is that ever going to change? And now, with the Lib Dems leading in the polls and Nick Clegg's personal approval ratings going through the roof it looks like at last we could be on course for a result that changes the way we do things in this country for good.

My thoughts are never far away from those who are facing or experiencing homelessness. It can happen to anyone, through no fault of their own. Losing your job can be catastrophic. Even if you have no fixed address, you can still vote. Please take that opportunity to have your say.

If you don't think your vote will make a difference, have a look at the 2008 Presidential election in the US. The Obama campaign persuaded people who had never voted before to sign up - and look what happened. There are at least 32 million reasons to be cheerful (the number of poorer Americans who will get health cover for the first time). US elections can be very marginal - and that voter registration made the difference. With the UK heading for the closest election in my 26 years of political activity, then it is totally worth having your say. Your vote could make a huge difference.

I'm reminded of this funny viral video type thing from the US election that I posted in 2008 which shows the difference you could make by having your say....or not...



I haven't got anything like the skills to put together a British version but I hope someone does.

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