Your Vote Matters
In this guest article, Frances Corr from Youth Voting Matters calls for automatic voter registration and especially for young people in Scotland to get registered to vote starting from age 14.
It’s a crime that many feel powerless – that creeping pointlessness that can tumble into hopelessness. What’s an even bigger crime is that young people are feeling this. Many of them are leaving Scotland and those that remain make up the part of society who are the least likely to vote. It’s a crisis.
I’ve always felt it was insulting to call it voter apathy as if people just can’t be bothered. If you don’t see the point in something why would you do it. For sure our choices of who to vote for aren’t great, but as the electorate disappears into the mist so governments become more detached. They’re not addressing this, it obviously suits them fine.
It’s why a group of us have got together to do something about it. None of us are young and we’re not aligned with any political party. We’re called Youth Voting Matters and we’re contacting schools, unis, community groups, anywhere there are young people (teens and twenties) to try and promote a movement of young voters.
In recent local elections in Glasgow 18.7% of the electorate turned out. This can’t be called democracy. While not voting is often seen as a protest against the system, one thing’s for sure, if you’re part of the community who doesn’t vote then politicians won’t be bothering with you. They won’t be looking for your vote.
Most people are unaware that registration can be done from 14 years for Scottish Elections and voting at 16 years. Minors have to be registered by parents or guardians and 16 year olds can register if they are householders themselves. Many don’t know how to register nor how to vote. Schools have no obligation to teach this, it’s not a compulsory part of the curriculum.
To us voter registration is just another obstacle and that a system of automatic voter registration for 14 year olds should be in place. Then using the vote is all that’s needed. A movement of voting is a show of strength, makes us visible and tangible and reminds governments that we are here. It’s important to remember that they’re paid to work for us.
We’ve had a poster designed that includes a QR code which takes you directly to the Scotgov registration website. Our hope is that groups will take on the campaign themselves, initiating discussion and distributing posters, making their own should they wish to do so.
Greater Govanhill magazine has plans to use our poster alongside an article on housing in it’s next edition. Romanilav, a group run by the Roma community in the Southside of Glasgow are taking interest in the campaign as are co-ordinators of some of the colleges and universities. With some help we intend to hold stalls and get on to social media.
Young people need to shake things up a bit. The Scottish Elections on 7th May 2026 is our target to get as many of them as possible registered to vote and voting.
The people of Canada’s recent vote was a clear message against Trump. Maybe the protest now is to show up at the polls.
contact Youth Voting Matters on influence@youthvotingmatters.scot