Moray schools to hold mock referendum vote

FORRES Academy pupils may give the strongest indication yet as to how locals will vote at the Scottish Independence Referendum.

Around 1500 senior pupils from secondary schools in Moray will take part in a mock referendum next month ahead of Scotland’s historic vote later in the year.

The project - which will involve all nine of the area’s secondary schools - will aim to encourage more young people to vote and reinforce the constitutional importance of the referendum in September.

Around 278 S5 and S6 students are expected to take part in Forres, 18% of the mock Moray electorate.

The voting age for the referendum is 16, meaning young people who were born on September 18, 1998 or earlier are eligible to vote.

In the lead-up to the vote young people will debate against each other and each school has a planning team with youth council members supported by a teacher and youth worker implementing the local arrangements.

The Moray-wide count will take place at Milne’s High School in Fochabers.

"This is a very significant year for Scotland and for S5 and S6 students in our schools who will be able to vote in this year’s referendum," said Moray Council’s head of schools and curriculum development, Laurence Findlay,

"I am fully supportive of the mock referendum and I hope the young people of Moray benefit as they prepare to cast their votes in September."