New ‘Welcome to your vote’ week sets sights on better informed young voters

24 Jan 2022 11:36 AM

Schools and youth groups across the country are being called on to take part in ‘Welcome to your vote’ week, to help young people participate in May’s local government elections.

Launching today, Monday 24 January, ‘Welcome to your vote’ week aims to improve young people’s understanding of their vote and raise awareness of upcoming elections.

To coincide with the initiative, the Electoral Commission has produced a new set of educational resources to help improve the political literacy of young people in the UK.

The resources provide information on voter registration, political campaigning and how to cast your vote. They also allow young people to take a closer look at democracy in the UK and understand how they can have their say.

Craig Westwood, Director of Communications, Policy and Research at the Electoral Commission recently said:

“Young people are less likely to register and cast their vote than older age groups.  Our resources are designed to address this, helping young people to engage in democracy by improving their understanding of their vote and how they can get involved.

“We hope that this toolkit will allow teachers across the UK to confidently deliver political literacy lessons, not just ahead of this May’s elections, but all year round.”

The educational tools are designed for use in both full lessons and shorter sessions, such as school assemblies. The resources include animated videos, lesson plans, assembly plans, short activities and interactive quizzes, and each is tailored to the differing curriculums and contexts across the UK.

Throughout the week, the Commission will work with organisations such as The Politics Project, Association for Citizenship Teaching and Votes for Schools, to engage with young people directly.

Working with Votes for Schools, the Commission has co-created resources for over 900 schools and colleges to explore new possibilities for future voting in the UK.

Educators and students who want to take part in ‘Welcome to your vote’ week can access the free resources from the Electoral Commission website at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/welcome-your-vote.

For more information contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, out of office hours 07789 920 414 or press@electoralcommission.org.uk

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Notes to Editors

1. The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:

• enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
• regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
• using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency

2. The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Scottish and Welsh parliaments.