Young people across the Highlands are encouraged to register to vote

11th March 2025

The Highland Council is taking part in the 2025 Welcome to Your Vote Week campaign run by the Electoral Commission which launches today (Monday 10 March).

Every year the Electoral Commission asks schools, colleges, youth groups and universities to celebrate democracy by teaching democratic education with their students and young people.

The campaign's theme this year is "get informed and get involved". Anyone working with young people are encouraged to support them to access trustworthy information to get informed about politics, democracy and elections, and take the first steps to get involved locally. Whether it's discovering who represents them in their area, exploring the issues that matter most to them, or making a positive impact in their community, there are lots of ways young people can get informed and get involved.

The Returning Officer for the Highlands, Derek Brown said: "We are delighted to support this national campaign and have circulated the wide array of resources specifically created by the Electoral Commission to all our secondary schools.

"In Scotland, you can register to vote when you're 14. With a Scottish Parliamentary election taking place in 2026, at which 16-year-olds will be eligible to vote, this campaign is perfectly timed to start conversations with young people about democracy, politics, and all aspects of voting - to get informed, get involved and register to vote now."

Registering to vote takes just five minutes if you do it online. If you’re 16 or older, all you’ll need is your National Insurance number. If you’re under 16, you won’t be asked to supply a National Insurance number.

To register to vote visit here (external link)alternatively, you can contact the Electoral Registration Officer on 0800 393 783 and ask for a paper application form.

The Highland Youth Convener Lauren McKittrick is hoping Welcome To Your Vote week spurs on young people to get registered so they can take part in the Scottish Parliamentary elections next year.

She said: “Young people are the voices of the future. In Scotland we are in a privileged position of allowing 16+ year olds to vote in Scottish Parliamentary elections. This week, we really want to encourage young people to find out more about the democratic process and to understand just how much their vote counts in ensuring the issues that matter to them reach the voices who can make change."

Welcome to Your Vote Week runs until Sunday 16 March 2025 and more information on the campaign can be found on the Electoral Commission website