Who will be the voice of Scouts Scotland in the Scottish Youth Parliament?
Scouts Scotland is taking part in the SYP elections, click here to register your group, and see below for more info.
Leaders get READY for the VOTE! – Sign up Now
The Scottish Youth Parliament elections are fast approaching. Between Monday 6th November 2023 and Sunday 19th November 2023 any current Scout aged 12 – 25 (living in Scotland) will be able to Vote for the Scouts Scotland candidates they want to represent them in the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP). For further information on the SYP and Scouting click here.
Candidate profiles will go live on 1st October. Throughout October, candidates will be promoting the vote and their campaign to be elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) for Scouts Scotland. There will be two Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament elected for Scouts Scotland.
Voting will be via an online platform (which is recognised as a challenge), with unique, one-off voting codes available for allocation.
Less than 100 votes were cast by Scouts in the previous elections. Data obtained from the Census (January 2023) suggests there are over 10,000 eligible voters across Scouts Scotland. As a Youth Shaped organisation, we are aiming for a significant increase in engagement and participation.
To ensure as many eligible voters have the opportunity to make their voice heard and take part in the vote, we need you as Leaders to help support the young people to access their vote and recognise the value and importance of their voice.
We suggest Leaders of groups / units with eligible voters plan an ‘election voting session’ during the election period (6th – 19th November) to facilitate voting. We will be offering a (suggested) session plan to assist with this. Access to the online platform and possession of unique voting codes for the eligible voters within the group / unit will be needed.
We ask that you sign up and register your interest in supporting your young people to take part in the vote by completing the Registration form. Registration of interest will close on Sunday 22nd October 2023. Voting codes and the suggested session plan will be provided to Leaders of groups / units who have registered their interest. To sign up Leaders will need to provide name, contact e-mail, and Group / Unit details (including the number of eligible voters). We also ask you let us know the date of your proposed election voting session.
Scouts eligible to vote are encouraged to speak with their group / unit leader and help promote the vote.
We believe the elections (and UK Parliament Week – 6th – 12th November 2023) offer a fantastic opportunity to incorporate the Rights Challenge Badge for all Scouts (not only those eligible to vote).
SYP Elections Voting Group / Unit Sign up QR Code (scan the code with a mobile phone camera and click on the link or use this link)
