This election will see many young people in NI voting for the first time
With only days left in this UK General Election campaign, how are some of Northern Ireland's first time voters feeling ahead of the July 4th poll?
For Iona, 18, from Newtownards who will be casting her vote in the North Down constituency, the issues that matter most to her are improved healthcare, greater community engagement and full political representation. "It's important to take that into consideration, express my opinion and participate in the conversation of politics and even if my one vote isn't going to make a huge difference, I'm excited to say I partook in democracy."
"Most seats in NI are quite safe and have tended to vote for the same parties over and over but there are some like my own in Belfast East that are on a sharp knife edge where it could go either way. "A lot of young people vote along the lines of their parents, so taking that time to inform yourself is really helpful. If you have things you're passionate about that you think the government should be focusing on, why would you not want to speak up about it?
Through debates with politicians and discussions with experts in areas such as climate change, fact-checking and mental health they gained valuable insights into the complexities of contemporary politics. Moreover, they explored their own identities and engaged in discussions about politics spanning across the island of Ireland and the UK.
Politics Belfast East (Constituency) North Down (Constituency) Newtownards East Belfast Stuart Pearce
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