Two young Cork general election candidates set to cast their votes for the first time

Two 22-year-olds from Cork are preparing to cast their first-ever vote in a general election — and will get to cast their vote for themselves.

Zoe Laplaud is running with People Before Profit-Solidarity in Cork South West.

Speaking at a press conference for the party last week, she said: “There is an increasing trend of young people not voting the way their parents voted.

“As a young person myself, we are encouraging people to vote left and transfer left if they are not happy with the establishment.”

“I know that we can make a change — if you’re able to build a movement and get people out on the streets, get them interested, then change can be won. West Cork is my home, I’m proud to be from the area and I know that people are ready for change.”

Good feedback

From her campaigning so far, she said: “Young people have been dealing with the consequences of issues like the housing crisis, but the support I’ve been getting isn’t limited to young people. A lot of people I talk to on the doors tell me about their son or daughter’s living conditions — they care about their kids and future generations.”

Ms Laplaud added that she has been getting “really good feedback — a lot of people saying it’s good to have a young face and a young voice running.”

Rachel Hurley Roche, also 22, is affiliated with the Workers Party, but will be on the ballot as an Independent in Cork North Central.

She decided to run “to offer real political solutions to the issues people are facing, and to popularise the idea that there is an alternative.” She told The Echo: “I’ve been asked am I even old enough to vote on the doors, but it’s usually in a way of genuine interest.

“There are definitely a lot of people who, even if their parents are well off and vote for establishment parties, will vote differently if they’re still stuck living with them because they can’t get rented housing.

“It’s difficult to make a life that way, it can put relationships under pressure.”

Pushing for change

But, she added: “I don’t think splitting people up in a generational way is always helpful, there have always been more progressive parts of society pushing for change, an alternative, regardless of age.

“I know a lot of students who are going to go home to vote, but a lot just cannot afford it; they can’t afford to get the train because they are living on the absolute breadline, and those are the people who would be a lot more wary of the promises being thrown around this election.

“Our postal voting system is so unfair, especially for students in really low-paid, demanding work who can’t get the time off.”

Both candidates agreed that a better postal voting system that allowed young people who are living away from their registered address to vote would make a difference to election results.

Ms Laplaud said: “It’s difficult to re-register if you’re in student accommodation for just a year, so it would really be a massive benefit if we could have postal votes.

“The easier you make it, the more people will vote.”