More young people in the UK want to know how politics works so they can have the confidence to vote.
The Electoral Commission has published a new report, Young voices on democracy, as part of its annual ‘Welcome to your vote’ week education and awareness campaign that ran from 10-16th March.
In Scotland and Wales, young people aged 16 and over are eligible to vote in Scottish or Welsh-only elections. The Government in England is also committed to lowering the voting age to 16, so ensuring young people have the knowledge to use their vote is essential.
Welcome to your vote
As part of its awareness week, The Electoral Commission surveyed over 2,500 young people aged between 11 and 25, from across the UK, about their thoughts on politics and voting. It found that 75% wanted to be taught more about politics at school, as it was perceived as a more trustworthy way to learn than from TV or social media.
The survey also revealed that having knowledge about politics and democracy would give young people more confidence to vote in elections.
Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, commented:
The Electoral Commission strongly believes every young person should have the chance to learn about democracy, giving them the knowledge and confidence to get involved. So far, we’ve supported over half a million young people to take part in democracy through our resources and work with schools and youth organisations.
Find out more about young people’s views on voting and resources for politics education:
