From the never-ending Brexit shambles to politicians being unable to put party squabbles aside long enough to actually govern the country, the future looks bleak ahead of the upcoming general election.

As a voter, I’m not particularly desirable to Boris Johnson and his Conservative party of rich, white men. Not only am I a foreigner, but I am also a woman, with immigrant parents of Armenian heritage, and a left-wing political stance.

Minorities are – and always have been – at a disadvantage when it comes to voting, for several reasons. To start with, there is a distinct lack of representation; a census from 2019 revealed that the average councillor in England is nearly 60 years old, white, and named David or John.

And let’s not forget that when a new prime minister was chosen earlier this year, seven out of the 10 candidates were white men from privileged backgrounds, with Sajid Javid the only one with immigrant heritage.

It’s natural to feel that the people leading this country aren’t looking after the interests of all its residents, but it’s precisely at a time when you feel you have no power that you must use your voice – and in this case, we must vote on 12 December.

Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Show all 76 1 /76 Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Crowds march through central London Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters gather in Parliament Square Led By Donkeys Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins protesters PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator marches EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People's Vote Final say march - 19 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters react after the result of the vote on the deal delay was announced at the House of Commons REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator carries his dog draped in EU flag AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters use their flags to shelter from the rain Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit demonstrators carry placards and EU flags AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Oliver Letwin MP in Parliament Square, London, during an an anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard rally, after it was announced that the Letwin amendment, which seeks to avoid a no-deal Brexit on October 31, has been accepted PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march UK BROADCASTERS POOL/AFP via Get Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A protester with "Bollocks to Brexit" stickers on his head Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Britain's main opposition Labour Party shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Keir Starmer, shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott, shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell, shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry speaks on stage in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A EU supporter waves flags REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant demanding a final say Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Police look towards protesters Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Pro-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march head to Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march in Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march past Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Cory (7) sits on his father's shoulders as protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People attend the 'Together for the Final Say' march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks on stage PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A woman in EU costume EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters hold an Independent banner Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters hold an anti-Brexit placard by The Independent stall during the Final Say Brexit march in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London, PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators hold placards and EU flags AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester joins in the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march in London REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Patrick Stewart and Paul McGann join in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator shouts into a megaphone as she marches AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A dog dressed in an anti-Brexit placard is walked in the Final Say Brexit march in London EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A morris dancer takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Whippets are dressed in EU flag clothing during the Final Say Brexit march in London AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit demonstrator takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters call on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate in London during the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament from Park Lane in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Marchers visit The Independent stall during the Final Say March in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester holds a sign calling for a Final Say during a march in London EPA

EU citizens like myself aren’t afforded the same luxury (unless we have Irish, Cypriot or Maltese citizenship). I’m one of the millions of people desperate to have a say on which party should lead us into 2020, so that we can protect our rights and our future.

Ahead of the General Election in 2015, nearly 20 per cent of BAME people were not registered to vote. This despite research by Operation Black Vote revealing that in over 100 constituencies the same year, the number of BAME people was higher than the majority of the MPs that had been elected.

Make no mistake, the minority vote is powerful. When Diane Abbott was elected as an MP for Hackney and Stoke Newington, where the minority electorate is 42 per cent, she had a majority of over 35,000.

Need more examples? In the 2017 snap election, ethnic minority voices made up 1 out of 5 votes for the Labour party, which received 77 per cent of minority votes in total.

There are many reasons people abstain from casting their vote, and these are often influenced by economic, sociological and cultural factors. For instance, there’s the fear of being targeted (hate crimes have doubled in the last five years), a general lack of interest in politics or not understanding the voting process.

The latter isn’t limited to minorities, however the UK’s voting process is almost deliberately difficult. One particular concern is that you must re-register to vote if you move, and according to The Runnymede Trust, people from ethnic minorities are more likely to move because they live in rented properties. It’s an instant disadvantage.

To make matters worse, the winter election will be held just before Christmas and that’s no coincidence. People will have other pressing matters on their minds (dinner, the panic holiday shop, the upcoming half-term), it will be cold and miserable, and inevitably, some will stay home and think “Well, I’m just one vote, it’s fine if I sit this one out”.

Whatever your political standing, believe that your one vote matters – because it does. Let’s not forget that in the 2016 referendum, Leave won by just 4 per cent. I didn’t get a chance to vote then, either. I had registered, but the letter announcing that I was eligible to do so arrived several days after the referendum result and by then it was too late.

Beyond having the chance to make a difference, having the right to vote is one of the most fundamental elements of a functioning, democratic society. This right has been hard-fought and should be respected.

On 12 December, as you contemplate skipping out on voting because you’re fed up with dodgy MPs who don’t support your community, remember that there are those who can’t vote.