What is an election?
Cllr Sean Fielding
In this article, an elected councillor explains what an election is, why they’re important, and how you can get involved.
What are elections?
Every day, thousands of decisions are made, and billions of pounds spent, on behalf of all of us.
These decisions cover every aspect of life; like the things you learn in school, the healthcare you can access, the things the police can arrest you for and how much tax you pay when you go to work.
Clearly, these decisions shouldn’t be made without our consent, but at the same time there are just so many to be made every day, that everybody can’t be involved in all of them all the time.
That’s where elections come in.
What are elections?
Every day, thousands of decisions are made, and billions of pounds spent, on behalf of all of us.
These decisions cover every aspect of life; like the things you learn in school, the healthcare you can access, the things the police can arrest you for and how much tax you pay when you go to work.
Clearly, these decisions shouldn’t be made without our consent, but at the same time there are just so many to be made every day, that everybody can’t be involved in all of them all the time.
That’s where elections come in.
What happens in an election?
Elections are where everybody who is eligible and over the age of 18 can vote for the people that they want to make these decisions.
People are nominated as candidates for election by others in the area that they want to represent, and then a vote is held. Many of these candidates will stand for political parties, like the Labour Party, the Conservative Party or the Green Party. Candidates organise as in political parties so that they can work together to deliver on their pledges, which are set out before the election in a document called a manifesto. Other candidates sometimes stand as Independents, not aligned to any party or anybody else.
Members of Parliament are usually elected in General Elections, with some exceptions. If you want to find out who your local MP is, click on the They Work For You website.
How do elections work in Greater Manchester?
In Greater Manchester there are elections to Parish and Town Councils (not everywhere has these but examples include Mossley and Westhoughton), to local Councils (like Oldham Council or Stockport Council), for MPs who go to Parliament in Westminster and for the Mayor of Greater Manchester. Each of the organisations that successful candidates are elected to make decisions about different things:
- Parish and Town Councils often organise community events and make environmental improvements like placing hanging baskets on the local high street.
- Councils decide things like where homes can be built and how elderly or disabled people are cared for.
- Parliament decides on bigger issues, like how we fight the climate crisis and on our country’s relationship with other nations. It also sets taxes.
- The Mayor of Greater Manchester is a relatively new elected position, and its powers are changing, but at the moment the Mayor decides things like where and when the buses run and how many police officers there are.
Make sure you have your say!
With all these decisions being made on your behalf, it’s important that you have your say and vote for somebody who best represents you when you get the opportunity. Though elections for MPs only have to be held every five years, in Greater Manchester elections to local Councils are more frequent. Check out this article on local politics to find out more.
You become eligible to vote on your 18th birthday, though you can register in advance at 16. For more information on this, check out this article. Make sure you have your say!
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