Following a pause in voting, the Scottish Youth Parliament Election restarts across the Western Isles on Monday 5th February until Sunday 18th February.
Young people aged 12-25 are eligible to vote for their preferred candidate(s) to represent the Western Isles at the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP). There are three candidates standing, Joseph Bignell, Ellie Denehy & Alannah Logue.
The Western Isles has two seats in the Scottish Youth Parliament and members will represent their peers for a two-year term as the democratically elected voice for young people across the islands.
Since its inception in 1999, the Scottish Youth Parliament has influenced change on issues including votes at 16, free bus travel for young people under 22 and free period products. MSYPs (Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament) have campaigned on a wide range of topics from the climate crisis to educational attainment.
Every two years, elections to the SYP are held. Young people aged 14 to 25 from across Scotland stand as candidates, representing all 32 local authorities and several national voluntary organisations.
Voting will run from Monday 5th February 8:00am – Sunday 18th February 3:00pm. Young people will be able to vote online at: voting.young.scot using their Young Scot National Entitlement Cards (NEC) to elect their MSYPs for 2023-25.
UNCRC Article 12 states that young people should have their voice listened to in matters that affect them, and the SYP voting process demonstrates active citizenship, participation, and democracy in action. This is a fantastic opportunity for our young people to take part in a democratic process and we hope it will be an exciting activity for them to be involved in.
The Single Transferrable Vote (STV) voting process will be used. Instead of young people selecting one preferred candidate, all voters will rank the candidates in order of their preference – 1 for their 1st choice, 2 for their 2nd choice etc. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they wish.
If a young person has lost their Young Scot NEC please email youngscot@cne-siar.gov.uk to access their number and order a new card.
Anyone who has never had a Young Scot Card and needs a temporary number is also asked to email youngscot@cne-siar.gov.uk providing their full name.
These videos will help to explain how to vote:
– Voting with a desktop/laptop
– Voting with your mobile
For more information on the local candidates, see the SYP Election site.