A Love Island star is urging young people not just to vote for the reality TV show but also at the general election.
Sharon Gaffka is appealing to the under 30s to make sure they register to vote before the deadline closes at midnight on Tuesday, June 18. "When the Love Island season is over, your vote means nothing, but for the next five years and beyond, what happens on election day has repercussions for the rest of your life," she said.
Sharon Gaffka is backing the Give an X campaign to encourage 4 million young people not on the electoral roll to register to vote. "In British culture, we celebrate getting a provisional licence at 17 or buying a first drink at 18. We should encourage voting and make it look like a big milestone because it is", she told The Mirror.
Sharon is appealing to the under 30s to make sure they register to vote before the deadlineThe former reality star said her family’s history taught her the importance of voting. "My grandad was Polish and taught me about Nazi Germany and how he ended up in the UK and what the British government was like during that time and my mum is Indonesian and there is a lot of strain there, democratically speaking," she said.
"Being able to vote is something we take for granted and I don't want things to be forced upon me. I want to have a say in what happens to me." She added: "Once the deadline is passed you can’t change your mind. You remove the luxury of choice from yourself so register to vote," she said.
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"You still have three weeks from the deadline of registering to vote until the actual polling date itself and polling stations are open for a long period. But not registering at all shows politicians you are easy to ignore and that you don't care about giving yourself that choice."
Kwajo Tweneboa, a social activist from Croydon known for his advocacy in social housing, also echoed Sharon's call. and has joined calls for young people to step up and register to vote ahead of the upcoming elections.
Kwajo is social activist from Croydon, known for his advocacy in social housing"There's this assumption, especially in Westminster, that young people aren't engaged and don't vote when it comes to politics," he said. "That is why election after election, young people are really not offered anything of substance and therefore in terms of groups and demographics they suffer most when it comes to politics."
Kwajo's activism was sparked by personal tragedy, witnessing his father's struggle with cancer worsened by inadequate housing conditions. Since then, he has tirelessly campaigned for better living standards, stressing that young voices need to be heard to address pressing issues like housing.
"Now more than ever, there is a lack of decent and safe housing especially for young people, and they are pushed to the bottom of the queue simply because they are young and they are expected to be resilient," he said. "42% of young people feel their vote doesn't count or have the ability to change things and that is systemic amongst young people across the country."
Despite these challenges, Kwajo urges young people to vote and make a direct impact. "If we do not vote and we do not speak up, then we can expect the same results, we can expect to be pushed to the back of the queue politically," he said.
"I often think of the definition of insanity and that is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different outcome. If young people do not come out and vote and talk about the social issues affecting them, then we can expect the same results and that is politicians not delivering for us."
Research from the charity, My Life My Say (MLMS), paints a bleak picture, with 57 per cent of young people not optimistic about the country's future and 42 per cent feeling their vote won't make a difference.
Recent data has also revealed that 21% of young people are unaware of the new photo ID requirement for voting, introduced by the UK Government. The Government has specified a range of acceptable forms of ID on its official website.
To apply, individuals can search ‘apply for voter ID’ or visit the Government’s website before 5 pm on Wednesday 26th June. To register to vote, click here.
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