On Thursday 7 May don't vote in the general election. That's what some people would tell you. They would say it's more pointless than the Pointless Blog. They're wrong. They've got their chest hair in a twist. You should enjoy voting and do it. Here's why.
1. Voting is cool.
You know what a vote is: it's your way to say what you want. I want you to think about what you really want. Voting can make it happen. Do you want to pay less tax? Your vote can make it happen. Do you want university tuition fees to be reduced? Your vote can make it happen. Hate your friends being sent to fight wars in places you've never heard of? Voting can stop that. Your vote can affect anything you care about. It doesn't matter what it is. What matters is that it matters to you. That's power to forge the future. And that's pretty cool.
2. Voting works.
Lots of young people don't vote. Maybe that's because they don't think it works. It does. Your vote can do anything. Last week, fags were banned from having Mad Men packaging. Do you like that? Do you hate it? Last year, Scotland voted to stay in the UK. Every vote was valuable. Your vote can support or eliminate the people who make things happen. If you like what our Prime Minister, David Cameron, says he will do: vote for him and his party. If you don't, vote for something else. It works.
3. FML is an option.
Are you angry? Don't like any of the choices offered to you? Like being stuck in a Pizza Express where all the toppings have run out, it might seem awful. You might hate the Conservatives. You might hate Labour. You might hate every single politician in world - even Frank Underwood. You might disagree with everything they say. So say it. Your vote tells the country what you think. If you're angry put FML on your voting paper. Just don't actually write FML. Write NONE to tell them where to go. Your vote is your voice. Don't let anyone but you decide what you want to say - but say something.
4. Yes, the voting system is behind the times. Don't let that stop you.
I've said before that, unless you've remembered to order a postal vote, it's annoying that you must go down to some school and fiddle about with a pencil and paper to vote. It's a bit like having to cash a cheque instead of transferring money online. I mean come on, you use Snapchat, WhatsApp and Fling. You use banking and shopping apps. You stream music rather than own shelves filled with CDs. But just like going out to see your date's favourite film - even though you can't stand Benedict Cumberbatch - sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do. Get to wherever you need to go and spend your vote on Thursday the 7th of May.
5. It only happens once every five years. Don't miss out.
Elections like this one only happen every five years. That's a really long wait to say what you want if you miss out (to all the wannabe QI elves out there: stop jumping up and down like puppies fed on speed. Yes, elections could even happen twice in one year). This election is your chance to decide what happens next in your life. Voting works and it's cool to make your choice. There are armies of boring people who say that you're too lazy to vote. Maybe they don't want your vote to disagree with theirs. They say you don't have a clue or care about anything; but that's not true. Whatever you think, let the country know. Whatever you do, don't miss out. Don't let FoMo creep up on you the next day. There's no electoral morning-after pill.
I want you to vote whatever your vote might be. Enjoy it. It's yours.