elections – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Young people in Scotland want to learn more about politics in school, new research finds

Research published today (Monday 10 March) by the Electoral Commission reveals that nearly three quarters of young people in Scotland (73%) think children and young people should learn more about politics in school or college. Young people are most interested in learning more about political parties and the difference voting makes.

The research, which surveyed 11 to 25-year-olds from across the UK, also found that 81% of young people in Scotland who live in homes where politics is discussed weekly or more often, say they are confident about voting compared to only 30% of young people living in homes where politics is never discussed.

More positively, young people who responded to the survey said that hearing about politics at school or college is, along with at home, the most trusted source of information – more so that TV or social media.

The Electoral Commission is calling for all young people in Scotland to have the opportunity to learn about democracy in school, with better support for educators to deliver engaging and effective lessons.

With the voting age being 16 in Scotland at Scottish Parliament and council elections, it is more important than ever to ensure young people understand our democracy and how they can play an active role in it.

Andy O’Neill, Head of the Electoral Commission in Scotland, said: “Young people should feel empowered to take part in our democracy, yet too many in Scotland feel disconnected from politics and uncertain about how decisions that affect them locally are made.

“It is crucial young people are equipped with the knowledge and confidence they need to engage with democracy and cast their vote.

“The Electoral Commission is expanding its work with schools and youth groups across Scotland to support democratic education, but meaningful change also requires updates to the curriculum and dedicated time for teachers to deliver democratic education in schools, ensuring all young people understand and participate in democracy.

“We will continue to work with the Scottish Government to encourage this positive change.”

The findings are being launched to mark the start of Welcome to Your Vote Week, the Electoral Commission’s annual campaign celebrating democracy and promoting further democratic education.

This year’s theme, ‘Get Informed and Get Involved,’ encourages young people to access accurate information on democracy and elections, helping them take the first steps to engage locally.”

Young Voices on Democracy 2025 Download

Community Councils: Time’s running out to submit your Nomination Form

Nominations opened for Community Council elections on 6 February 2025. Noominations close at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

If you choose to return by hand or by post please ensure you allow sufficient time for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

Example completed nomination forms are attached to this email. All sections that must be completed are highlighted in yellow.

Attached is a breakdown of every valid nomination received for each individual Community Council as of 20 February 2025.

For each individual Community Council, you will also note the column with the minimum number of nominations required to establish the Community Council. We have highlighted in green the Community Councils that have already met the minimum elected members threshold.

Nomination form – further clarification

We being persons residing in and appearing on the electoral register for the area of’ – ‘area’ means the community council area that you are being nominated for. Please ensure that you include the correct name of the Community Council and not the constituency or ward information. You can check the name of your community council on our website.

An individual can be both a single proposer and a single seconder, e.g. They could propose Individual A and second Individual B. They cannot propose or second any other individuals.

A nominees family member (e.g. Wife, husband, brother etc.) can propose or second them in compliance with the point above.

Please only submit 1 nomination form via 1 method of submission e.g. via email OR by hand OR by post. Please do not send multiple copies of nomination forms to the Governance Team as this creates additional administrative pressures. The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Since nominations opened we have received a number of nominations which have been assessed as not valid. All candidates have been provided with advice on how to rectify and re-submit by the closing date of 4pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.

Common ‘not valid’ reasons

Below are common reasons why nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

The nomination form does not detail the name of the Community Council area that the candidate has been nominated for.
The nomination form has not been signed in ink by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
The nomination form has not been dated by the proposer, seconder and candidate.
Photo of nomination form and signatures must be legible.

Below are common reasons why Local Interest Group nomination forms have been assessed as not valid

The LIG nomination form has not been signed in ink by the President/Chairperson and Secretary/Treasurer.
A copy of the LIGs constitution has not been supplied.
The LIG nomination does not include the name(s) of the Community Council.

If you need any assistance with completing a nomination form then please do not hesitate to contact us at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Regards

Governance Team

Community Council elections: Nominations now open

The Notice of Election to community councils in Edinburgh was published yesterday (Wednesday 5th February).

Community councils are groups of elected local residents who care about their communities. These councils play an important role in the democratic process and act in the interests of their local areas.

The nomination period runs from today until 27 February. During this time you can nominate yourself to stand for election as a community councillor.

An election will only be held in a community council area if there are more people nominated than places on the community council. Should this be necessary the election date will be 27 March.

The new community council term will start on 28 March and will last four years. The next community council elections are planned for 2029 though this may be subject to change.

Find out more about community councils and how to stand for election on our website along with the full text of the Notice of Election.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “Community councils remain an integral part of the social and democratic fabric of our city. In my experience as a ward councillor, I truly value my relationship with community councils and the excellent work that they do.

“From campaigning on key local issues, to organising meetings, chairing debates, liaising with local and national representatives and much more – the life of a community councillor in the Capital is never ordinary.

“This is an excellent opportunity to take a lead in your local area and make your community a better place. I’d encourage all residents to consider standing as a community councillor. Edinburgh draws its strength from its citizens, and we need their views and ideas to move forward together.”

Secretary of Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, Ken Robertson said: “You have a community council voice in city life, by right.

“Don’t step to the side and stay silent.”

Trump on the cusp of historic victory

DONALD Trump is within touching distance of becoming President of the United States for the second time.

At 7.15am BST the controversial figure has amassed 266 electoral college votes, just four votes short of a remarkable victory.

Wee Janey Godley will be birlin’ in her grave …

Greenpeace bring Project Climate Vote to Edinburgh

LOCAL Greenpeace volunteers were door-knocking in Bruntsfield yesterday to spread the word about Greenpeace’s current UK-wide campaign Project Climate Vote.

Project Climate Vote aims to recruit one million climate voters ahead of the next general election, in order to pressure all political parties to commit to bolder action on climate change. Climate voters pledge to show visible support for climate policies and vote with the planet in mind.

Edinburgh volunteers went door to door in Bruntsfield having conversations with residents about their concerns about the climate crisis and wider connected issues. As climate voters, locals were asked to place a poster in their window and to voice their concerns about the climate crisis should local candidates come to their door in the run-up to the election.

Sue, a volunteer from Bruntsfield said: “The conversations we’re having show that the climate crisis is a key concern for the majority of people and they want bolder action from our leaders. It’s encouraging that so many people want to sign up…the hardest part is finding folk in on a sunny afternoon!”

Today follows numerous other door-knocking sessions Greenpeace volunteers have carried out in Edinburgh since September 2023, including in Pilton in North Edinburgh in February. The group will be out canvassing again during future weekends, right up until the general election, which is currently expected to take place in the latter half of this year.

Zoë, a volunteer from Newington said: “Project Climate Vote is a very exciting and crucial campaign aiming to hold politicians to account on delivering the action that we need in order to ensure a liveable future.

The climate crisis is already happening up and down the country. People can see it with their own eyes and are playing their part to mitigate their own impact on the environment. What we need now are our leaders to step up to the plate.”

Greenpeace UK are hosting weekly online training sessions for those interested in taking part in the canvassing campaigns in their local areas. Anyone is welcome to join a canvassing team, regardless of if they have any past experience with Greenpeace.

UK voters can sign up to be a Climate Voters and order their posters on the Greenpeace website.

Scottish Youth Parliament elections: Voting is OPEN

Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) elections – voting starts on Monday 6 November and closes on Sunday 19 November

21 candidates are standing in these five constituencies:

Edinburgh Central – 6 candidates

Edinburgh Northern and Leith – 3 candidates

Edinburgh Pentlands – 4 candidates

Edinburgh Southern – 4 candidates

Edinburgh Western – 4 candidates

Two candidates will be elected unopposed for Edinburgh Eastern.

Brief candidate profiles are available at: https://elections.syp.org.uk/elections/19/ (see ‘select constituency’ at the bottom of the page).

Who can vote?

All young people aged 12 (or in 1st year of secondary school) to 25 can vote in the contested constituencies.

Voting will take place online. Young people can vote using their Young Scot card or a temporary number at:

http://voting.young.scot

Temporary numbers have been issued to schools in the contested constituencies so young people can ask for a temporary number at school or by emailing:

sypelections@edinburgh.gov.uk

To check which Scottish Parliamentary constituency you are in, please visit https://boundaries.scot/ and enter your postcode.

What you can do

Please encourage young people you work with or are in contact with to vote for their preferred candidates. Every vote will count so it’s essential that we give as many young people as possible the opportunity to vote.

The Scottish Youth Parliament is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people. Please help us to ensure that we have a good turnout in Edinburgh so that the successful candidates have a strong mandate to represent young people.

For more info visit SYP website

Vote of confidence: Edinburgh Napier Uni to work with Democracy Counts to improve trust in elections

The Knowledge Transfer Programme will look at new ways to identify voters

Edinburgh Napier University and Democracy Counts, a company which runs elections around the world, are teaming up in a joint effort to give people more trust in their voting systems in the digital age.

The University’s Blockpass ID Lab will work with the firm over two years as part of a new Knowledge Transfer Programme, funded by Innovate UK.

While many electoral operators still rely on paper and pen to recognise voters, the partnership will look at developing new ways of identifying citizens, while keeping their personal information safe.

It is hoped that this will make elections more secure, transparent and reliable in future.

Professor Bill Buchanan OBE, who leads the Blockpass ID Lab at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “This collaboration will bring forward new methods, using our expertise in advanced cryptography, to properly identify voters at each of the key stages of an election.

“We will aim to replace our paper-based signatures with a more reliable and trustworthy digital approach. Through advancements like this, and digital wallets, we hope to provide more convenient and accessible ways for citizens to take part in the democratic process.”

Simon Verdon, CEO of Democracy Counts, said: “We run elections around the world, and each one differs in their scope and implementation.

“This collaboration will allow us to build the next generation of trusted voter registration and election systems which can integrate different levels of digital trust, and should make voting more transparent, more resilient, and more trustworthy.

“The opportunity is thus for the UK to continue to be an international leader in the setup of elections.”

Paul Keating, Technical Director of Democracy Counts, said: “Digital trust plays an ever-increasing role in our lives, especially as we move towards digital signing.

“As elections have to have high levels of trust and transparency, this work will bring forward the current state-of-the-art in digital trust.

“But there are challenges around using citizen data, and so the collaboration will bring forward the latest research in the preservation of privacy and make sure it has high levels of trust from citizens.”

Established in 2009, Democracy Counts is a market-leading provider of electoral management software, support services and training to the UK Government and local authorities across Scotland, England and Wales – as well as managed referendums and ballot services to public, private and community organisations.

Edinburgh Napier University’s Blockpass ID Lab has spent the last five years researching ways in which blockchain technology can protect personal data from online scammers and hackers.

Make A Difference: Young people encouraged to apply to be a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament

Are you 25 or under and passionate about issues such as climate change, equality, poverty and your community? Or do you know someone who is? If so, then you might be interested in the forthcoming elections for the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP).

The SYP represents Scotland’s young people and democratically elected members listen to and recognise the issues that are most important to young people, making sure their voices are heard by decision-makers. It is a highly rewarding role that requires passion, determination and, perhaps most importantly, commitment.

All young people aged between 14 and 25 can stand for election and anyone aged between 12 to 25 is eligible to vote.

This year’s elections will be held in November and applications are open until 31 July.

Before then, interested young people can find out more and begin the application process on the SYP website which is open until 31 July.

Information sessions will be held and there is support available from the SYP and from Edinburgh’s Youth Work Team.

Beau Johnston, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Edinburgh Central, said: “I felt so well supported and was pushed out of my comfort zone constantly – but in the best possible way.

“My confidence has improved, and I have learnt many new skills. I feel grateful to have met so many inspirational people throughout this process, and to have worked with them on issues that I am so passionate about.”

Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for young people to join the Scottish Youth Parliament and make their voices heard.

“The Parliament has a proud history of delivering youth led campaigns that deliver meaningful change and have led to many improvements to the lives of young people not just here in Edinburgh but across Scotland. I would encourage anyone interested to apply and see if you can really make a difference.”