Why you should register to vote

This coming weekend offers people the opportunity to register to vote.

Many people may not be interested in voting mainly because they don’t know why they should do so.
Below there are nine reasons why you should wake up this coming weekend go to your nearest voting station and check if you are still registered or register to vote in the coming 2014 elections.

• It’s your constitutional right.
  Firstly it has been enshrined in the constitution that all people over the age of 18 have the right to decide on the type of government they require. So if you don’t go out and vote someone will give power to the party you do not like. You can only vote if you are registered.
• It’s your money.
  The party you vote for will decide how much of the wealth to invest in public services and how to fairly share the tax burden.
  It’s your children’s education. The party you vote for will set public education policy and budgets that will affect your children and grandchildren’s future in terms of the quality of education they will deliver.
• It’s your job.
  The policies of the party you vote for influence what job training is available, the minimum wage, pay equity, fairness in hiring, your job and pension security, and workplace safety.
• It’s your health care.
  The party you vote for determines your access to health care and its quality.
• They’re your highways. The party in government decide what highways are needed, what alternatives to highways such as public transit to support, and how to pay the bill.
• It’s your social security.
  The ruling party decides how much payroll tax you pay, cost of living increases and benefit schedules for your social security pension, and what medicare services you receive and share payment for.
• You live in South Africa.
  Your country, state and national elected officials set standards, enforcement strategies and budgets. They plan and zone where roads and industries will be built and how public lands will be used  They make decisions that can determine how and where you live and work.
• It’s your neighbourhood.
  The elected officials make daily decisions about crime prevention, laws and law enforcement, safe and affordable homes, traffic patterns, where to put schools, parks and recreation.