Your Vote Week 2026: Why Voting Matters for Young People
Welcome to Your Vote Week 2026 - the Electoral Commission’s annual celebration of democratic education.
This week is all about helping young people understand how democracy works and how they can take part in decisions that affect their communities.
The theme for Your Vote Week 2026 is “Why Voting Matters.”
To explore this with pupils, we’re hosting a Big Debate Club discussion asking:
“Should we change how we vote in elections in the UK?”
While this might sound like a complex topic, it provides a great opportunity to help young people explore one of the most important ways citizens participate in democracy - voting.
Below are some of the key arguments pupils can discuss.
We SHOULD change how we vote in the UK
The public are not turning out as much under the current system
The system is simple and easy to access, but the public are not turning out in large numbers for some elections. For instance, turnout at the 2024 general election only 6 in 10 people turned out, the lowest amount of people turning out since 2001, and millions remain unregistered to vote. (Source: Reuters, LINK)
Many votes do not affect the outcome of the election
Although everyone has a vote and should use it, in the 2024 UK general election, about 74% of votes were ‘wasted’ (meaning they did not help decide who won a seat) due to the MP receiving many more votes than they needed to win and therefore the extra votes had no impact. (Source: Make Votes Matter, LINK)
We SHOULD NOT change how we vote in the UK
There is increasing support for the current system
According to another YouGov survey, support for keeping the current system has risen among some groups, such as Reform UK voters, showing that opinions on change vary depending on circumstances and viewpoint. (Source: YouGov, LINK)
Changing the system could create unstable governments
Critics argue that switching systems, to other systems like proportional representation, could produce many parties in parliament and make forming a government harder, possibly leading to unstable coalitions.(Source: Reddit, LINK)
Exploring why voting matters
Once you have completed our debate, you can further discover the difference voting makes and how young people can have their voices heard by using the Electoral Commission’s impartial resources to explore why voting is important to them and discuss the impact their vote can have on their everyday lives.
By teaching democratic education to young people, we can help them become informed citizens who understand how democracy works and feel confident participating in it.
Through discussions like this, pupils can reflect on the impact their vote may have on decisions that affect their lives and communities.
Enjoy taking part in the debate!
— Becky Gittins, Head of Delivery
💡 Want your pupils to join the conversation?
Smart School Council Members can take part in the Your Vote Week debate through the Class Meeting Tool on your dashboard. Make sure to get your students involved!
