Poll cards signal countdown to Nairn Academy mock election

Pupils at Nairn Academy will receive their poll cards tomorrow (Tuesday) ahead of the mock referendum on Scottish Independence being held later this month.

The school is piloting the mock poll in the Highlands and all 800 pupils are being invited to take part. Voting will take place within the school between 8 am and 5 pm on Thursday 21 November with the result announced the following day.

Presiding officers at the vote will be senior pupils Finlay Allmond (15) and Ellena Leslie (16), who have also been charged with the responsibility of generating interest in the mock referendum, which asks the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country”.

They must remain impartial as they are members of ‘Generation 2014’; a group of 50 young people who will be 16 and 17 on September 18 next year and will have the right to vote in Scotland’s Independence Referendum. Their journeys are being followed and filmed by BBC Scotland in the run up to the referendum. Finlay and Elena are members of Nairn Youth Forum and Highland Youth Voice; initiatives operated by High Life Highland’s Youth Development team.

Other senior pupils are promoting the “yes” or “no” campaigns and a debate will be held in the school on Monday 18 November.

It is hoped that the Nairn event will provide a template for other secondary schools to follow as part of a major exercise in the Highlands to raise awareness of the democratic process and in the run up to the independence referendum on 18 September next year.

The mock referendum is being organised by the school community in partnership with election officials at The Highland Council and follows a decision by the Council’s Community Safety, Public Engagement and Equalities Committee to involve younger people in voting.