The 2017 Scottish council elections are the first Scotland-wide council elections in which 16 and 17-year-olds can vote.
This means that if you’re 16 or over on 4 May 2017 you’ll be able to vote – but you need to register first. You just need your address, date of birth and National Insurance number to register online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote .
You can vote in person at your local polling station between 7am and 10pm on the day (you will receive a poll card telling you where your polling station is) and a member of staff will always be available to help you if you’re not sure what to do.
You can also apply to vote by post, by filling in an application form from The Scottish Assessors Association website .
Higher students from Bannockburn, Stirling and Wallace High Schools are also participating in registration events in their schools on Ready to Vote Day (1st March 2017) to encourage as many pupils as possible to get involved.
Bannockburn High are hosting a lunchtime registration event in the format of a Social Subjects Cafe where pupils will be encouraged to drop in and register.
Stirling High have been teaching pupils about the role of local councils, why it is important to vote and how to register. On the 1st they will have an assembly at the start of the day and then the library will be made available for registering to vote at interval and lunchtime.
The social subjects department at Wallace High will be marking Ready to Vote Day by attending promotion events and running a registration event where all pupils aged 16-18 will be released from class to register to vote. Pupils at Wallace are well rehearsed in the democratic election process by taking part in departmental run mock referendums and elections, and understand the importance of voting.
Stirling Council’s Chief Education Officer Kevin Kelman said: "We are keen to ensure that political literacy forms part of young people's learning experiences in our schools. We are delighted that young people from Stirling's schools are promoting participation in local democracy, and hope this encourages 16 and 17 year olds in the area to register online, so that they can participate in the elections in May.”
To find out more visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or search #ReadyToVote on social media.
Pictured are (L-R) Sam Hird (Stirling High), Liam Raeside (Bannockburn High), Amber Matheson (Wallace High), Chloe Bruce (Stirling High), Chloe Aimer (Wallace High), Alyx MacRobbie (Bannockburn High), Rebecca Carmichael (Wallace High).