Call for Submissions: Young People and Politics, Registering to Vote.

We are welcoming our first round of submissions from young writers and vloggers as part of our young people and politics series.

With the deadline for registering to vote in the May elections nearing, and recent surveys showing that up to 1 in 4 young people have never registered to vote, there are concerns that the turnout among your generation will be low. So what can we do?

We know that many of you are passionate about politics, and we believe that you hold the key to inspiring your peers to be engaged. That's why we have launched our Politics and Young People blog series. From now, until the EU referendum in June we'll be asking you to write articles or vlogs, on topics linking young people and politics, such as: Should 16 year olds vote? Why should you care about the Mayor? And, what does EU mean to you? And many more.

We are looking for our first round of submissions by Friday 15th April, and we will be publishing them all on Monday 18th of April, which is the deadline to register to vote. We'll be promoting the articles through our large reach on social media throughout that day, encouraging more young people to register to vote before the deadline. Questions are provided below to guide your submissions:

1. I'm 16, what's the point of registering if I can't vote?
A 200-300 word article, or short vlog, weighing up the advantages of registering to vote at 16.

2. The importance of having your say: Why should I vote?
A 200-300 word opinion based article, or short vlog, summerising the importance of voting.

3. Why I don't/won't vote?
A 200-300 word opinion piece, or short vlog, defending your right to not use your vote.

4. Let me have my say: Should 16 year olds get the vote?
A 200-300 word article, or short vlog, arguing for or against giving the vote to 16 year olds.

To submit your piece, or ask any questions, email me at phoebe@nutmegcommunity.org. Your submissions will make all the difference to our youth-led campaign to encourage more young people to be engaged in politics.

Thank you in advance for your submissions!

Phoebe and the Nutmeg Team,