The power of voting is a privilege, and the privilege of voting is powerful.
Allow me to explain what this means.
We live in a world where there are places in which war rages and famine runs rampant. These places coexist with States founded on democracy and unity. Both are bound by one shared experience. The experience of being human. What does it mean to be human?
Humanity. Humanity is what keeps us going even in times of trouble. Humans have their ability to share with one another, to communicate and converse. In particular, it is our skill of storytelling that paints us apart from others.
What does this have to do with voting in the upcoming Student Union elections?
Voting in the Student Union elections is an excellent opportunity, and I’m here to tell you all about it.
First, it’s a wonderful chance to practice exercising your right to vote. The world is constantly changing. At a time like this, it is of particular importance that we do what we can to ensure that our voices are being heard and that those in power are making decisions based on the best interests of the people who their policies are directly affecting.
The SU hold the University responsible and are a direct representation of the student body. At times, the SU is the only group that is consulted in decision-making conversations. It’s good governance for to cast your vote so that your SU can accurately reflect the change that you want to see in their plans and policies.
So why should you care?
Because it’s your campus. You should have a joint sense of responsibility and ownership over it. We are a community of people and active participation is the best way to enact change.
In the same way that you care about the wifi randomly dropping in certain areas of campus, or there not being enough seats in the library, or Bialann not staying open in the evening time, or the lectures not being recorded, you should also care about the process of change behind each of these issues.
It can be all too easy to point out issues within the University and to complain about how things should be different. But, when you have a say who it is that will be advocating on your behalf and you don’t form an opinion, then it’s very difficult to make an argument for yourself if you have an issue in the future.
There is also perhaps an element of expecting that other people will do the work for you. This is not meant to be shameful, but rather to start the conversation on why people are not voting. Complacency is the enemy of progress.
If an issue doesn’t directly concern you, it may affect a different group of people who are less capable of advocating for themselves. This is not to feed into a white saviour complex, but more to encourage using your vote to amplify the voices of minorities and communities who have been particularly disadvantaged and would be heavily impacted by positive change.
Sometimes it’s about the greater good. It’s about making choices to help others even when it doesn’t affect you. Whatever issues you may have with the campus, I can guarantee you that you aren’t the first person with those issues, and you won’t be the last. There are many other people at any given time that are first in line with those problems too. I can assure you that if everyone with these problems stayed silent, then the campus would not be the way that it is today. The goal is to also set up a strong foundation for the future students at the University, the same way that the past students who came before us advocated on our behalf for benefits that they would never experience.
There was once a time when it was cool to vote and when it was seen as a good thing to care and to be active. Those days are seeing their revival, particularly as it is now easier than ever to vote electronically. This isn’t about why you should vote; it’s about why wouldn’t you vote?
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the University of Galway. It is important to be the change that you want to see, whether in the world or on campus.
Holly Leech is a Co-Editor for the Opinion column of Student Independent News for the year 2023/24. She is a Third Year Law and Human Rights student in the University of Galway. Holly has been writing and contributing to SIN since September 2023