Katie Bedford, 17 THE date of this year s General Election may well come too soon for Katie to have a say but the 17-year-old believes voting is essential for everyone who is eligible, I definitely think people should vote. There are people in the world

Katie Bedford, 17

THE date of this year's General Election may well come too soon for Katie to have a say but the 17-year-old believes voting is essential for everyone who is eligible,

"I definitely think people should vote. There are people in the world who don't have that right and I think it is very important to exercise our ability to do so," she said.

"I'm not sure if I will be eligible to vote this time around but if I were 18 I'm pretty certain I would be voting."

Despite efforts by politicians to involve young people in the political process, Katie thought that not enough young people understood how politics affected them,

"I don't think young people are aware of how Government affects them in their everyday lives, she said.

"Politicians have got to be far more approachable to make young people aware of who or what they are actually voting for."

Alex Ewing, 18

VOTING in the upcoming election will put Alex in a minority of 18-24-year-olds in the UK but he doesn't believe that age has a bearing on the decision to vote.

"I don't think an awful lot of people my age have an opinion on the big political issues and I think it is that rather than their age that stops them from voting, he said.

"I also don't think enough people realise what their MP does or how to get involved with the political process."

In recent years politicians have turned to the web in an attempt to draw a new audience into politics but Alex believes that the tactic doesn't work,

"When I vote I will be looking for someone who has experience with the big issues and who can be a leader for the country rather than someone like David Cameron who doesn't have the experience."

Sam Montague-Fuller, 18

THE environment will be a key issue for Sam at the upcoming election but an MP who is active within the community is just as important,

"It is nice to know that an MP can be down at your level and can really get involved locally. I am quite lucky that my MP lives in my village and she is actually really nice, he said.

"I think issues around the environment and carbon emissions are really important and I think we need a prime minister who can tackle that."

Though Sam is sure that he will be voting in the upcoming election, he remains uncertain whether he will continue to do so in the future,

"I don't know that I will be a lifelong voter, I think the novelty of voting may wear off when I reach 20," he said.

Charlie Kenzie, 17

CHARLIE thinks confusion around the political process can be daunting and puts many young people off voting.

"It is important to vote and have a say but I think a lot of people have no idea of the way in which the political system works, he said.

"I would favour someone who would commit to changing the political system in the UK to make it clearer and simpler.

Charlie's experience of the NHS has been largely a positive one and so he does not consider it a big issue for the next election. He does however, thing the environment will play an important part in influencing his vote,

"I would consider voting for the Green Party because they have a simple and clear set of policies on the environment whereas I think it is hard to get a clear idea of where the big parties stand and what they believe in.