I'm 11. I can't vote in the 2026 election. That doesn't mean I'm not paying attention - and honestly, half the adults I know are paying less attention than me.
So the election is coming. Soon there will be real signs on real fences. Some people I know already have a favourite party and a least-favourite party and will tell you about both, in that order, without being asked.
I'm 11. I can't vote. By the time I can, this whole election will be one Wikipedia paragraph. But it still matters to me, because the people who win in 2026 get to make decisions about my school, my doctor, my rivers, my phone, and what the country looks like when I finally do get to vote in 2032.
Here's the weird thing I've noticed: a lot of grown-ups treat the election like a sports match. They pick a team, they yell at the TV, and then they're surprised when the other team's supporters don't suddenly agree with them. Nobody changes their mind because someone shouted louder.
The kids I've talked to about this aren't like that yet. We ask actual questions. "Why are houses so expensive?" "Why is the bus late every day?" "Why does my teacher have to buy her own pens?" Nobody has trained us yet to pretend we already know the answer.
So here is my unsolicited election advice, from someone who can't even vote:
Read at least one thing from a party you don't like. Not to change your mind - just so you actually know what they're saying instead of what your favourite person on the internet says they're saying.
Look at what parties have actually done, not just what they're promising. Promises are free. Receipts are harder.
If a politician answers a question you didn't ask, notice. That's a tell.
And if you're a grown-up reading this - please, please vote. I am literally not allowed to do the thing you might skip because it's raining. We have a mock election lab on the site if you want to practice. It's free. There are no ads. There is no quiz at the end.
I'll be watching on election night with a notebook and probably too many snacks. Tell me what you're voting for. I won't tell anyone. I genuinely just want to know.