Who to vote for in 2018#

Deciding who to vote for in 2018 comes down to two things: who represents you best, and who represents you best. No, I'm not trying to be clever here because I mean both of those but just in different ways. In one sense, you want to choose the person that best embodies what you are about, your worldview and your stance on the election issues. But in another sense, you want to choose the person who is really trying to represent you the voter, in other words, they are listening to what voters think and try to reflect that in the way they will vote on legislation and represent the electorate in the wider world. If you can find the candidate who has the correct mix of these two representations then you will have the person to vote for on election day.

The issue nowadays is the way we deal with these politicians and our suggestions for a more appropriate replacement via trial by social media. The Oprah Winfrey- Golden Globes moment is, for now, nothing more than that, a moment. She will always hold sway online due to her fanbase but what about looking at our current crop of politicians? Is the standard in office currently so low that we must pull from another industry, one that may not have any experience in a political role (which I am aware sometimes isn’t the worse thing)? If we have deemed nobody up to scratch then as voters we have to look at the role we play in this.

As voters in democratic states, we hold the majority of the power with regards who we elect. Each election is like interviewing individuals for a new job and we need to start taking the process more seriously. Who interviewed Donald Trump? In hindsight, it may seem like they hired based on an impressive (interesting) CV but forgot to hold a face to face meeting.

Looking at elections that are occurring across the globe in 2018, we need to set our criteria a little bit higher. If the right candidate doesn’t apply for the job, we need to start recruiting the right people. It’s simple practice!

People Who Deserve Our Votes

So, some actionable steps for all the voters out there for 2018, here's what I will be looking for in my politician the next time I'm in the polling station:

• Someone who has put in the hard yards - I don’t believe we should hand our vote to anyone out of pure convenience or because they jumped on a topical subject just to raise their profile. We should do our research and know the person we are electing very well. There is nothing worse than surprise that comes out post elections! Remember you want your politicians to represent you in a fair and civilized manner.
• Someone who will make an effort - I say effort because that’s what I look for in my politicians. As a young voter, I think we have a responsibility to show respect for a politician who tries their best and we need to recognize that sometimes, they won't get the bill passed. Something that has crept into our society over the last number of years due to the growth of social media is putting people on blast online, this only serves to grow mob mentality. For our politicians to get better results from us we need to work with them and not against them!
• Visible in the community - being elected shouldn’t take you away from your electorate, it should serve to solidify your position further if anything else. I don’t want to vote a good politician away from me, that isn't the way progression in politics should be viewed. It’s always positive to see a representative engaging in the community and you don’t want to be chasing that person down after election day.
• Good personality - It's important to vote for someone who gets on with people. You must consider how they work as part of a team on a bigger scale. Politics is as much about collaboration as it is about problem-solving.
• Stance on the core issues - Like any individual, your politicians will have core beliefs in areas that are constantly discussed and views are continually recycled. Do your core beliefs align with the person you are voting for, I'm talking about education, the economy, health etc. Curveballs often come in politics but having an open mind is critical when looking at contentious topics, this applies to both the politician and the voter of course.

What are the important sticking points for you when voting? Let me know below.