I’m a BAME EU citizen who can’t vote

Almara Abgarian, The Independent

From the never-ending Brexit shambles to politicians being unable to put party squabbles aside long enough to actually govern the country, the future looks bleak ahead of the general election.

As a voter, I’m not particularly desirable to Boris Johnson and his Conservative party of rich, white men. Not only am I a foreigner, but I am also a woman, with immigrant parents of Armenian heritage, and a left-wing political stance.

Minorities are — and always have been — at a disadvantage when it comes to voting, for several reasons. To start with, there is a distinct lack of representation; a census from 2019 revealed that the average councillor in England is nearly 60 years old, white, and named David or John.

And let’s not forget that when a new prime minister was chosen earlier this year, seven out of the 10 candidates were white men from privileged backgrounds, with Sajid Javid the only one with immigrant heritage.  

It’s natural to feel that the people leading this country aren’t looking after the interests of all its residents, but it’s precisely at a time when you feel you have no power that you must use your voice — and in this case, we must vote on 12 December. EU citizens like myself aren’t afforded the same luxury (unless we have Irish, Cypriot or Maltese citizenship). I’m one of the millions of people desperate to have a say on which party should lead us into 2020, so that we can protect our rights and our future.

Ahead of the General Election in 2015, nearly 20 per cent of BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) people were not registered to vote. This despite research by Operation Black Vote revealing that in over 100 constituencies the same year, the number of BAME people was higher than the majority of the MPs that had been elected.

Make no mistake, the minority vote is powerful. When Diane Abbott was elected as an MP for Hackney and Stoke Newington, where the minority electorate is 42 per cent, she had a majority of over 35,000.

Need more examples? In the 2017 snap election, ethnic minority voices made up 1 out of 5 votes for the Labour party, which received 77 per cent of minority votes in total.

There are many reasons people abstain from casting their vote, and these are often influenced by economic, sociological and cultural factors. For instance, there’s the fear of being targeted (hate crimes have doubled in the last five years), a general lack of interest in politics or not understanding the voting process.

The latter isn’t limited to minorities, however the UK’s voting process is almost deliberately difficult. One particular concern is that you must re-register to vote if you move, and according to The Runnymede Trust, people from ethnic minorities are more likely to move because they live in rented properties. It’s an instant disadvantage.

To make matters worse, the winter election will be held just before Christmas and that’s no coincidence. People will have other pressing matters on their minds (dinner, the panic holiday shop, the upcoming half-term), it will be cold and miserable, and inevitably, some will stay home and think “Well, I’m just one vote, it’s fine if I sit this one out”.

Whatever your political standing, believe that your one vote matters — because it does. Let’s not forget that in the 2016 referendum, Leave won by just 4 per cent. I didn’t get a chance to vote then, either. I had registered, but the letter announcing that I was eligible to do so arrived several days after the referendum result and by then it was too late.

Beyond having the chance to make a difference, having the right to vote is one of the most fundamental elements of a functioning, democratic society. This right has been hard-fought and should be respected.

On 12 December, as you contemplate skipping out on voting because you’re fed up with dodgy MPs who don’t support your community, remember that there are those who can’t vote.

And that it’s only by voting that you can change the UK’s future, so that one day, government represents the interests of all its citizens.