NewsHour Extra:

Why I'm backing the other guy...
by Hannah Williams

Picking a President: The United States' Election 2000

My choice for Prime Minister
By Jake Keir Herge Fraser, 11, South London

Although I am young in political terms, this is my second general election and my fourth election in all. In 1997 I campaigned for my dad in an un-winnable seat (that is his version of the story) for Labour and enjoyed being part of the election.

This time it is easier. We are campaigning for our friend Jim (again for an un-winnable seat) but I think unlike my dad, Jim has a chance of overturning a conservative majority of 3,500 votes.

The thing I like doing best is to canvass people on their doorsteps. I go with my dad and a few others and using the electoral roll we knock on door and ask people how they are going to vote. I keep the clipboard and shout out the next name and whether they voted last time and if we know whom they normally support.

Because I am young and smile, we seem to be able to talk to the older people who smile at me and are polite to dad. One of the funny things is when someone opens the door you address them by name, they look puzzled and a little put out that we know who they are.

In this country you can get the register of who has voted after the election so we can monitor what the elector says against what they did.

I think everyone should be forced to vote once they reach voting age, 18. It always seems the people with the strongest views and rudest behaviour have no intention of voting but like boring us with their opinions. If they had to vote they might just listen.

At the last council election I tried to hold a hustings (election meeting) at my school with different people in the class playing the other parties. I realised that not many people my age share my interest in politics and elections…I blame my father. He named me after the founder of the Labour party Keir Hardie.