# 2 Making change via the UK Parliament

Figure 4: The UK Parliament logo.

Engaging in the democratic process is one of the most important ways you can make change: so, you need to vote! If you don’t vote you don’t get a say in who is elected and who makes the decisions that affect you. If you live in the UK, make sure your voice is heard in a UK general election by registering to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Registering using this link also gives you the right to vote in local, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections, and Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament, and Welsh Parliament elections if you live in one of those areas, as well as in referendums.

Figure 5: A typical UK polling station.

The age at which you are eligible to vote depends on the type of election and where you live in the UK. You need to be 18 to vote in the UK Parliament General Election. You can vote in person, by post, or have a proxy (asking someone to vote for you).

OpenLearn - Introduction to making political and social change
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