If you are a university or sixth form student and you haven’t registered to vote yet, there are 500 reasons to register. It’s actually $500 in cold hard cash which you could win if you register to vote. The move is an initiative of the office of Student Government at the University of Belize. That’s mainly because roughly only 38% of Belize’s registered voters are age 30 and under. President Moses Sulph told us more.
Moses Sulph, Student Government President – UB
“We realize that the young population is very significant however many of the young persons aren’t registered so we are trying to see how we can do that. And we are trying to do that by creating an incentive for you to go out and register. And this incentive is mainly targeting the university sector and the college sector and the fourth formers whereby you partake in a raffle. When you register you will get the ticket and you partake in a raffle. You will win a year’s tuition and fees paid and a $500 cash. Second prize you will also get a semester’s tuition paid with $500. Third prize is a semester book scholarship and $250 cash.”
Keith Swift,
Why is this necessary?
Moses Sulph,
“Because it is sad but clear that in our society right now without incentive people don’t move and if you can give incentive for other things, then I see this as something very important that you can give an incentive for. And not just any incentive but the incentive here is to also empower yourself by getting educated. So I believe that it will work. I am appealing to the general public and the younger generation to come out and vote because the power is in your finger and in your pen. So in order for you to bring about any kind of significant change, you must come out to register and vote.”
The prizes again are $500 in cash and a year free tuition to the school the winner is attending. Second prize is $500 and a semester of tuition. Third is book scholarship for 2 semesters and $250 in cash. The prizes will be raffled on February 5th. Again all you have to do is pick up a ticket which is available at all Elections and Boundaries Department offices.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
