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Voting

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Nothing about us without us

Get vocal about voting, positive about politics, challenge yourself to inspire others, and think creatively about what your ideal political landscape would look like.

1. Create your own party

Political parties are made up of people with similar beliefs, and a shared vision of the future.

There are some large and well-known ones out there, but imagine if you could create your own party from scratch…

What would your ideal political party look like? Be inventive with the way you record your ideas.

Decide:

  • What will your party be called?
  • What level of politics will it function within (local, regional, national)?
  • What are its top three issues?
  • Who, if anyone, will lead the party?
  • What is its logo and slogan?
  • How would you run an election campaign?
  • Who would want to become members and how would you recruit them?
  • Which parties would be your main rivals?

2. Tackle voter apathy

The right to vote has been hard-won over many generations. However, voter apathy – lack of interest in voting – is still high. And voting turnout for younger people is often poor.

Your challenge is to come up with a way to tackle voter apathy.

 You could create a resource for young people about political parties and leaders, or a campaign to encourage people to register to vote. Create a presentation, video, social media campaign or even hold an event to encourage young people to get involved in politics. The choice is yours!

3. Get registered

You don’t have to wait until you’re old enough to put an ‘x’ on the ballot paper to actually register to vote.

Find out if you’re eligible to vote and how old you have to be to register. Are you old enough? Get registered! If you aren’t old enough yet, wait and register at the earliest opportunity. You have to register to vote before you can complete this badge.

Now, your task is to get as many young people as you can to register to vote. Use the resource you created in challenge two to help you.

Including others

  • Make sure your parent/carer knows you’re talking to other people and who they are.
  • Never talk to strangers on your own.
  • If you feel worried or confused by any of the answers given, talk to an adult you trust straight away.

Internet safety

To keep safe online, I will…

  • Not share any personal information on the internet (my full name, my home or school address, my phone number or my email address).
  • Only download files on to my devices with permission from my parent/carer.
  • Always ask permission before uploading photos or videos online. If I send pictures, I am aware that these can be forwarded onto others.
  • Tell my parent/carer, teacher or leader if something online worries or upsets me.
  • Only add people online that I know in the real world.
  • Be wary of emails that contain unknown links. I know clicking links can download viruses or other harmful files onto my devices.
  • Treat people online with the same respect as I would in the real world. I will never write anything that might hurt or upset someone.
  • Not meet up with someone that I have met online and if someone asks me to do so, I will tell a parent/carer.
  • Think carefully about what I read, hear and see online, and not trust information unless I have checked it on other websites or in books, or have asked an adult about it.