Angus Robertson urges 15 year-olds to register for vote
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YOUNG people aged 15 and over have been urged to register to vote in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.
The call came from Moray’s MP Angus Robertson to mark UN International Youth Day.
Mr Robertson was Scotland’s youngest MP when he was first elected in 2001.
In his maiden speech in parliament at that time he raised the issue of lowering the voting age saying: "As the youngest Member of the House who represents a Scottish constituency, I am convinced that one change might help to engender an interest in voting among young people: lowering the voting age to 16."
The 2016 election will be the first general election where 16 and 17 year olds will have the right to vote following the unanimous passage of the Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Bill in June this year.
Last week the Electoral Commission launched a campaign to maximise voter registration amongst young people who will be 16 by the time of the election.
Mr Robertson said: "This year’s International Youth Day comes just after Scotland became only the second country after Austria in the EU to lower the voting age to 16 for national elections.
"Votes for 16 and 17 year olds has been a long standing SNP policy - one that was delivered during last year’s referendum where the the questions posed by 16 and 17 year olds and the debates they took part in were among some of the best contributions on both sides of the campaign.
"I am absolutely delighted that young people aged 16 and 17 can now express their opinion at the ballot box in the Scottish Parliament elections and I will continue to campaign to extend that to all elections.
"My message to young people in Moray is that your opinion matters and you can make that opinion heard through your vote by influencing who will govern Scotland. "
"Registering to vote is easy and will only take 5 minutes – just go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
"I would encourage all people over 15 to register to vote and to get involved."
