Kids Voting 2010: Local Government Elections
If you want to increase the participation of young people in local issues and local democracy then Kids Voting is for you!
In 2007 kids voted in the local government elections. In 2008 they got to choose who they would like to see in parliament and in 2009 schools were able to choose whether to hold an election or referendum for their students on an issue that was of specific interest to them. And in 2010 kids will again be able to take part in the local government elections.
Kids Voting 2010 is a great opportunity for you to get involved with schools and young people in your area and to support their learning about what councils do and how elections work.
The materials are free and there is a national coordinator who will be working with you. Your involvement will simply be to encourage the Year Nines in your district or city to get involved.
If you want to be involved in Kids Voting 2010 you can:
- Register your interest.
- Get in touch with your local schools that are taking part. We will let you know in the New Year which schools are taking part in your area.
- A toolkit to support councils and teachers undertake Kids Voting will be available. Registered councils and teachers will receive an email to let them know the kit is available.
- Provide relevant information or materials to support the teacher.
- Encourage your electoral officer to get involved in the running of Kids Voting 2010.
Who could be involved from council?
- Democratic Services and Electoral Officers
- Community Development and Youth Advisors
- Communications Staff
- Environmental Education Staff
- Elected Members
As in previous years it is up to individual councils to determine the level of input and support you provide to schools. Advantages for councils who participate include:
- Encouraging active citizenship, access to, and participation in, decision-making forums - be they local or central.
- Building public awareness and promoting better-informed communities.
- Helping to demystify decision-making and electoral processes and encourage voter turnout at both a local and national level.
- Contributing to the on-going nationwide effort to promote a consistent civic education programme in all schools.
- Capitalising on the momentum from Kids Voting 2007, 2008 and 2009 to build a longer-term partnership between schools and council.
Teachers have said that council involvement makes a positive difference to students' experiences of Kids Voting. If you have an issue that you would like feedback on from young people, Kids Voting could be a way of achieving that.
Kids Voting is fun, it's free and it's an easy way to engage with students in your community. So take part in 2010. Just click here to register online.