A young woman of Indian origin has appealed to the members of the community to exercise their franchise in the general election due to be held on September 20, 2014.
Shreya Paranjape, who is enrolled as a fieldworker for the Electoral Commission, said that it is important that all those eligible to vote register with the Commission and cast their vote as a part of their involvement in the democratic process.
The 22-year-old member of the Ethnic Leaders Group aims to create greater awareness of the need to vote among the younger members of the society.
“It is everyone’s right and duty to vote,” she said.
Born in Mumbai, Shreya moved to New Zealand with her family when she
was 10. She grew up in Christchurch suburb of Avonhead, attended Burnside High and is now studying Tourism Management at the Lincoln University.
Even as a teenager, she was curious about the voting process but could not relate to the predominantly elderly people who worked as volunteers and visit her high school to talk about elections.
She believes that other young members of the community should feel that they are a part of the electoral process, although many of them avoid matters such as communication gaps between generations.
“Those people would connect much better with a 22-year old going to schools, universities and community events to chat and answer questions about polls. I thought that they might be interested in hearing someone from their generation talk on election and why they should have their say on Election Day,” Shreya said.
She was surprised to learn during her meetings with several permanent residents in Christchurch that they were unaware of their eligibility to enrol and vote in Central and Local Government elections.
“Coming from India, the world’s largest democracy, my parents have always told me how important it is to voice your opinion. I want people from migrant communities to remember that their vote is important and every vote counts,” Shreya said.
Enrolling is easy. Anyone who is 18 years and above and a permanent resident or citizen can text (free of charge) their name and address to 3676, get a form from a PostShop or call free-phone 0800-367656. They can also enrol or update their details online (up to September 19, 2014) at www.elections.org.nz; Please read our editorial, ‘Right to vote should be counted’ on Page 14.
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