Youth Council & SYP Candidates in Nith

Nith Ward Youth Council Candidates

There are 9 candidates standing for 2 Ward Youth Councillor positions for this area. Ward Youth Councillors are responsible for linking in with local services and their role is to represent the voices, experiences and opinions of young people to local decision makers i.e. Elected Members. 

• Ellie McConnachie
• Eva Briggs
• Iona Cottle
• Jamie Stewart
• Lucy Waugh
• Robyn Martin
• Skye Allen
• Shardanny Rae
• Thomas Paine

Nith Ward Youth Councillor Candidate Profiles (PDF, 6 MB)(opens new window)

Scottish Youth Parliament Candidates

Nith sits within the Dumfriesshire Scottish Parliamentary Constituency and so young people in the area will have the opportunity to cast their vote on the 2 Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) who will be elected to represent the area. MSYPs are responsible for linking in Ward and Nominated Youth Councillors and taking the voices, experiences and opinions of young people forward to the Scottish Youth Parliament and national decision makers i.e. MSPs and MPs. 

Young people who have put themselves forward as candidates for Dumfriesshire are from all across the area, from Dumfries to Langholm. 

• Caitlin McClune
• Cameron Greer
• Ellie McConnachie
• Evie Clark
• Mia Beattie
• Mollie Grieve
• Naomi Scott
• Rhea Irving
• Robyn Martin
• Ryan Parke

Dumfriesshire Scottish Youth Parliament Candidate Profiles (PDF, 5 MB)(opens new window)

Nominated Youth Councillors

The Youth Council has 7 Nominated Youth Councillor positions for young people from minority backgrounds or those with protected characteristics. This includes a:

• Youth Councillor for LGBT Young People

LGBT Youth Councillor Candidates (PDF, 5 MB)(opens new window)

• Youth Councillor for Young Carers

Young Carer Youth Councillor Candidates (PDF, 590 KB)(opens new window)

• Youth Councillor for Care Experience Young People

Care Experienced Youth Councillor Candidates (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)

• Youth Councillor for Young People with Additional Support Needs and Disabilities

ASN and Disabilities Youth Councillor Candidates (PDF, 8 MB)(opens new window)

• Youth Councillor for Young People from Ethnic Minority Backgrounds

Ethnic Minority Youth Councillor Candidates (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)

• Youth Councillor for Gypsy Traveller Youth
• Youth Councillor for Young Parents

Although it says Nominated in the title, Youth Councillors for Nominated Groups are elected by young people. Voting for these positions is available at any of the polling places (excluding libraries) and there will be targeted voting sessions at youth groups across the region. 

How To Vote

Voting is pretty straight forward in that any young person aged 12-25 (or S1+) can cast a vote at their local polling place. Every voter will automatically be given 2 ballot papers, 1 to vote for their Ward Youth Councillors and 1 to vote for their MSYPs. Voters can request a ballot slip for any Nominated Group too. Young people must provide their name and date of birth to recieve ballot papers and each voter is only allowed to vote once per election. 

It doesn't matter where in Dumfries and Galloway you live, you are able to vote for any of the Nominated Youth Councillor positions. 

Instead of putting a tick or a cross against a candidate, voters just need to number the candidates in order preference i.e. 1 for your 1st choice/preferred candidate, 2 for your 2nd choice, 3 for your 3rd and so on. This type of voting is called Single Transferable Vote (STV) and if you want to understand a bit more about how this works, you can check out this video.

Where To Vote

In Nith, voting is taking place on the following days and times:

• Lunchtime at Dumfries Academy on Friday 12th November (Academy students only) 
• Lunchtime at St Joseph's College on Tuesday 16th November (St Joes students only)
• 10am - 11:30am at Dumfries and Galloway College on Monday 15th November on the MyPod (Mobile Youth Centre) in carpark. 

Out-with these sessions, any young person can vote from 4pm - 6pm, Monday - Friday at the Oasis Youth Centre. 

Contact Information

If you would like more information about the vote, or if you have any questions, please make sure to e-mail info@dgyouthcouncil.com or follow the Youth Council on social media @YouthCouncilDG on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.