Success of online polling for Warwickshire Youth Council elections raises future voting question

THE success of online polling in elections to Warwickshire Youth Council has opened up the question of how we might vote in the future.

Warwickshire County Council’s Children & Young People’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee this week heard how the youth council – a panel of elected 11-18 year-olds who help shape council policy – had held the county's first ever online election earlier this year.

Councillor Sue Markham (Con, Bedworth North), the county’s portfolio holder for children and families, said the casting of 1,314 votes surpassed expectations and that the ballot had attracted the highest level of candidates since the programme’s inception in 2008.

“It was our first online election in Warwickshire’s history,” she said.

“It was well used and online will be the way forward for our youth council elections.

“They are open to any young person attending school in Warwickshire between the ages of 11 and 18. We had 66 young people choose to stand as candidates in this election, the highest level of interest ever.

"That is just fantastic and shows how our young people really do want to get involved.

“Votes were cast by young people from every secondary school in Warwickshire and were spread well across all age groups and all five districts.

“The three priorities chosen to campaign on were mental health, experiences in school and crime and safety.

“There are only 30 places on the youth council but those that didn’t get elected join an online group that will meet monthly, the friends of the youth council, and they will work alongside the youth council’s elected members.”

It is a serious business with youth council members having a say on the issuing of grants to enhance youth provision, the council’s education and climate and sustainability strategies, police stop and search scrutiny panels as well as campaigning for improving mental health and wellbeing for young people through videos and podcasts.

“They have been very busy and I wish all outgoing and incoming members the very best, I am sure they will continue the good work that the youth council provides,” added Cllr Markham.

The digital ballot was picked up on by scrutiny panel member Councillor Tim Sinclair (Con, Stratford North).

“One thing that struck me was that the elections were conducted electronically,” he said.

“Does that have any bearing on other elections? Does it set a precedent? Were there lessons learned? What experiences did we get from this that are perhaps worth sharing?”

Cllr Markham replied: “This was a trial, it was the first time it has been done. I’m sure it won’t be that every election goes online because we knew there wasn’t going to be thousands of people waiting.

“As a trial it went very well, we are going to continue this (for the youth council) but I am sure it won’t be worldwide.”