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Children teach parents how to vote |
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Friday, 27 April 2007 |
Primary school children across Scotland are being encouraged to ‘take their parent to the polls’ on May 3 in a campaign to educate them about voting.
As part of the VoteScotland campaign the Electoral Commission in
Scotland and 14 local authorities are highlighting changes in the law,
which allow children to go with their parents or carers to polling
places. Electoral information opoopfficers will also give children a
sticker saying ‘I took my parent to the poll’.
The campaign aims to educate children about politics through activities
set out in the ‘Democracy Cookbook’, a toolkit to help teachers and
youth workers explain the elections. Primary schools will be encouraged
to carry out games like ‘Single Transferable Fruit’ to introduce
children to the new local government voting system. They can also visit
a virtual polling place on the VoteScotland website.
“It’s important that young people are aware of how politics affects
them in their everyday lives”, said Andy O’Neill, head of the Electoral
Commission in Scotland. “By engaging with young people early and
showing them the voting systems and process we hope to harness their
interest and enthusiasm right through adult life. And, parents can help
make voting even more familiar to their children by taking them to the
polling place on May 3.”
Although research points to high levels of interest amongst young
people in political issues only 42 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds voted
in the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary election. This compares to 49 per
cent of the population as a whole.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 April 2007 )
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