In the Bundestag election, citizens are only allowed to put their crosses on from the age of 18.
Young people in the district now have the chance to set an example at least symbolically in advance.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen - This year there will be another U18 election in the district.
After the summer vacation - from September 14th to 17th, a good week before the actual federal election - girls and boys from the fifth grade onwards are asked to go to the ballot box.
"The U18 election has meanwhile become a tried and tested brand and an important educational policy seal in our district," said district youth worker Verena Peck in a press conference.
What she is particularly pleased about: "All 29 secondary schools in the district are participating in the campaign in some way." Peck described this high level of willingness as "unbelievable".
In this way, according to her, the schools make “a major contribution to sensitizing young people to democratic processes”.
District administrator sees the election as a piece of political education
District Administrator Josef Niedermaier also welcomes the fact that the U18 elections are being held again: “For the younger generation, this is a piece of political education.
I have the feeling that they have a completely different level of political interest. "
In the U18 local elections last year, voter turnout was very low, according to Peck.
She sees one reason for this in the fact that at that time voting was only possible online from home.
“This year, voting is to take place again using the slip process.
It's easier this year because you only have to make two crosses, ”says Peck.
How schools implement the elections is up to them
As with the adults, there will be a ballot.
Polling stations with booths and urns are set up in the schools.
How the schools implement the U18 election is up to them: Either all young people from the fifth grade or only individual grades are asked to the ballot box.
In addition to the “technical” questions about parties, candidates and procedures, the focus this year is particularly on the content-related discussion of electoral issues.
"In recent years, the young people have criticized the fact that they were now informed about how the election works, but still didn't know who to vote for," says Peck.
"This and similar feedback has shown us that we have to rely more on the creation of voting decision aids."
Profiles of the direct candidates for the young people
A first of such help will be profiles of the eight preliminary direct candidates, on which they answer questions about themselves, their motivation for politics and their main topics.
On themed posters, the parties should take a stand on issues such as environmental and climate protection, the future of democracy or the effects of the corona pandemic on young people.
According to Peck, the “icing on the cake” of the electoral decision-making aids will be a short video clip in which the direct candidates convey to the people in the constituency what is important to them.
On September 17th at 6 p.m. the results of the U18 election will be published on the homepage of the District Youth Association.
In the district, the U18 election is organized by the district youth care, the district youth ring, the children and youth development association Wolfratshausen, the Tölzer youth promotion, the sponsoring association youth and social work Geretsried, the Protestant youth in the dean's office Bad Tölz, the Catholic youth center Bad Tölz and Wolfratshausen and the Königsdorf youth education center.
ELENA ROYER
Further information:
www.kjr-toel.de
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