Welcome to Your Vote Week
The Electoral Commission is hosting Welcome to Your Vote week, 24-30 January 2022, to help young people get ready to vote in the council elections on Thursday 5 May.
Schools and youth groups can get involved with the week by using the Electoral Commission’s new, impartial resources to share information about democracy and voting with young people, and to encourage them to register to vote.
The new political literacy resources for educators include lesson plans, a series of short activities, and an assembly plan, which are curriculum linked and designed to be flexible. The resources cover the upcoming council elections, how to register, what to expect when going to the polling place and the different ways young people can have their say.
How do local elections impact you?
Local politics and democracy impacts our daily lives – from how long young people stay in education to the rules of renting, 5G availability, social services, and how often bins are collected.
Discussing these topics, and encouraging young people to think about how they can make their voices heard, can help them to become engaged voters and citizens for years to come.
Right now, more people can vote in Scotland than ever before. 16 and 17 year olds can vote in Scottish Parliament and council elections. It doesn’t matter where they were born or what their nationality is, as long as they are a resident of Scotland.
You can also download graphics and posters, and spread the word on social media using #WelcomeToYourVote.
The deadline to register to vote in the council elections is midnight on Monday 18 April, and you can encourage the young people you work with to register now at gov.uk/registertovote.
Register to vote
Scotland’s next Local Government elections are due to be held on Thursday 5 May 2022. Voters will elect 30 members to Falkirk Council.
The deadline to register to vote in the council elections is midnight on Monday 18 April 2022. People aged 16 and over are eligible to vote in Scottish elections, you can register to vote online. You can learn more about voting in Falkirk’s local elections on the Falkirk Council website.