Why Register To Vote

In St. Kitts and Nevis or any other country for that matter, for Democracy to work, citizens, young and old, must be active participants.

Your vote is your voice. To be heard, you must register to VOTE.

Exercising your right to vote is your responsibility. When politicians are elected, they introduce policies and taxes that affects our quality of life.

Therefore, if you haven’t registered already, here are a few more reasons why you should register to vote.

• Voting provides you with a voice on important issues that affect you – everything from housing, taxes, roads, healthcare, education and much more.

• If you don’t register, you can’t vote! – That’s just the reality!! To vote in any elections, your name MUST be on the voters’ list.

• Some elections are won by small margins – that means your vote and your friends’ votes could change an entire election result.

• Bearing in mind that Elections can be called at any time and at short notice, don’t wait until it’s too late. Register today and you can definitely have your say.

• Elections present an opportunity for you to choose your leader and ruling political parties. It gives you a say on who represents you at the constituency level. One of the candidates will be selected to represent you whether you vote or not. As a registered voter, you get to select the person/party that represents the issues you would like to see addressed.

• Voting is considered one of the most important means of making a difference. Remember, a Government is for and by the people, so Government only has power because people vote for it.

• People have died fighting for the right to vote and to be part of a democracy. For example, in South Africa, it wasn’t until the end of apartheid in 1994 that black people were able to vote for the first time. Women in Oman, secured the right to vote in 2003. Recently in 2005, women in Kuwait finally secured the right to vote and run for office!

• When you register to vote, you will get a Voter’s ID card that is used as a de facto national ID. This card may be used when local banks need to verify your identity.

While many people across the world are still denied the right to vote, you have an opportunity to vote…. Just Register!!