Make your mark ballot - consultation for 11-18 year olds
Ashvarya Madhani, an elected Member of the UK Youth Parliament (MYP) from Ealing, is taking part in the annual Make Your Mark ballot, the largest consultation of young people in the country.
In a ballot beginning 12th August and running till 10th October, young people across the country will be asked what issues matter most to them, in order to determine what is debated by the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) in the House of Commons on 14th November.
Voting takes places both online and through ballot papers issues in schools and youth centres.
Ten topics will be available to choose from on the initial Make Your Mark ballot paper, with the five most popular topics among young people going on to be discussed by MYPs in their November debate, chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP and broadcast live on BBC Parliament.
Last year, the Make Your Mark ballot surveyed the opinions of over 478,000 young people, making it the largest youth consultation of its kind in the UK. This year, MYPs have set themselves a target of getting 1,000,000 young people to take part.
Ashvarya Madhani, who will be running the Make Your Mark campaign in Ealing, said:
"I aim to raise over 1000 ballots this year, which is my personal Make Your Mark pledge so that Ealing meets its pledge of 10,000 ballots overall. This is our highest Make Your Mark pledge so far, so we hope to reach our target. My work with UKYP this year entails promoting community cohesion in my local borough and working on the Votes at 16 campaign. I believe politicians should not only listen to but consider young people's views because they are vital in shaping the future of democracy for the UK."
Young people aged 11-18 can vote in the Make Your Mark ballot online at https://www.mi-voice.com/mym/ until 10th October
17th September 2014