Press Release
Shetland’s young voters encouraged to have their say on 3rd May
With the local elections taking place on Thursday 3rd May 2012, young people in Shetland are being urged to register and vote to have their say on who represents them in their communities.
Young people are a big part of every community, yet they are also among those least likely to be registered to vote. It is very important that every young person of voting age has the opportunity to do so. The deadline for registering is Wednesday 18 April and the form only takes a few minutes to complete.
A Facebook page has been set up at www.facebook.com/ShetlandsYoungVoters for Shetland’s young voters. It has information on why young people should register to vote, how to register, how to vote and general information on the Council.
Shetland Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament, Emily Shaw and Nicole Mouat, are currently creating a website for young people that is full of information on registering and voting. They have also created fact files, where prospective Council candidates outline their thoughts on the election and their manifestoes. There will be a link to the website on Shetland’s Young Voters Facebook page soon.
Emily Shaw said, “Registering to vote is the first step towards having your say in the upcoming council elections - a vote which will impact on your life and community. Nicole and I have been busy liaising with candidates to ensure relevant and clear information on who to vote for is available for young people, but you can’t vote if you don’t register. It is important to exercise your right to vote. The turnout of young voters is traditionally low and we are at such a pivotal point in both national and local politics that we need to change this to ensure the voices of young people don’t go unheard.”
If you are unsure on whether you are registered to vote, the local Electoral Registration Office can tell you. The Shetland office is located at Charlotte House, Commercial Road, Lerwick. Tel: 01595 745700. Email: ero@shetland.gov.uk
For further information on the election, visit http://www.shetland.gov.uk/elections/ and the Electoral Commission’s website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.
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