30th April 2010
West Dunbartonshire’s Returning Officer is urging young and first-time voters in the area not to miss their chance to make their voices heard at the ballot box next Thursday, 6th May.
Returning Officer for West Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire Council Chief Executive, David McMillan said: “If you are voting in the General Election for the first time, it is a very simple process. Different elections use different voting systems, and the voting system in the UK General Election is called First Past the Post. You will have one vote on one ballot paper. All you have to do is put an X in the box beside the candidate that you want to vote for.”
22 year-old Samantha Degan from Alexandria is all set to vote in her first ever UK General Election next week. She said: “I’ve now received my first ever polling card telling me where to vote and when to vote, and I now know how to vote. When I started doing some research and watching some television programmes about the General Election, I realised just how much politics affects all our lives and decided I should definitely vote… although I still need to decide who to vote for!”
David McMillan continued: “It is so important for everyone to use their vote, but it should be a particularly exciting time for young people who may be voting for the first time. It’s one of the rites of passage when becoming an adult, and young people should be looking forward to their first experience of voting. It’s your chance to influence who makes the decisions that affect your lives.”
For further information on how to vote or where to vote,call the Electoral Registration Team on Freephone 0800 980 0471, or visit:
www.aboutmyvote.com
