Politicians work for you, the public, and voting is our way of holding them accountable. If the current government isn’t up to scratch, fire them. If they’re doing a decent job, reward them with your vote. If we don’t vote, you are allowing others to make that important choice on your behalf, and your voice isn’t heard. People often think of politics as something that is far removed from their everyday lives and not immediately impacting them. However, politics often determines some of the most important aspects of people’s lives: whether they had a job, if their child has a good school, if you feel safe in your community and if you have a roof over your head. Young people, especially, need to use the power of voting to be fully heard in order to help build the South Africa they want.