By Amber Kane.

Tactical voting seems to be sweeping the UK in light of the upcoming general election with voters deciding to strategically target the parties they do not want in government in a bid to root them out of their constituency.

This tends to occur mostly when two parties are close in popularity and ahead of their competitors.

Voting tactically is happening, now more than ever, with young voters and is a popular topic on social media encouraging others to join the movement.

Talking to a series of university students it can be determined that tactical voting can have a positive outcome for many voters, however, opinions are still divided.

Shannon Lennox, 23, said: “It is smart and I understand why people would do it.

“It is a legitimate way of voting and can help rebalance the power in Westminster to hopefully give Scottish Parliament a bit more power.

“If we vote tactically we can get a party that is more tolerant to the Scottish National Party and the chances of an Indy Ref 2 are better.”

Why have young people decided to vote tactically in the first place?

Callum Brown, 20, thinks it’s a good idea: “Being from Livingston but living in Ayr means I can vote either way.

“Each area has a different majority as the Livingston majority is strong so voting tactically might not make much change.

“Tactically voting in Ayr matters more as it could make more of a difference.”

Although everyone has their own reasons for voting tactically, some vote to try and root out an unwanted party that may have a majority in their area.

Darren Gibson, 30, said: “In a way I would vote tactically however, I don’t really have to as either way I would be voting for the same party anyway.

“I think people who vote a certain way because that’s what they have always done is wrong and I don’t agree with voting in this way.

“Tactical voting works with the system and sometimes to stop a certain party, you have to vote for another party, especially in Scotland, so I think tactical voting can be a good idea. “

Although this voting phenomenon seems to be taking over social media to encourage everyone to get involved, not every young voter is convinced and may be resorting to more traditional ways of voting.

While Rebecca Weinberg, UWS Student, feels no need to tactical vote due to being happy with both party that are at majority in her area, fellow student Evan Clelland would rather vote for party policies rather than just tactically.

Whether you vote tactically or not, it is important to make sure you are registered to vote and make your voice heard.