Year 7 - Citizenship
Why is registering to vote so important?
How does local democracy work?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores the difference between local and national government. Pupils consider how governments are elected, the role of local councils and the key people within them.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how an eligible person can register to vote and why voting in local elections matters.
Key Notes
- There are many eligibility criteria for voting, e.g. age and residency.
- To register to vote, an eligible person must complete an online or paper form with their details.
- Local elections give communities the opportunity to choose who they want to make decisions on essential services.
- Voter registration drives aim to encourage people to join the electoral roll and vote on polling day.
- The political party with the majority (50% +1) gains overall power of the council, which gives them more control.
Vocabulary To Learn
- election: when people vote to choose leaders or representatives for public positions
- eligible: to meet the criteria or rules to be able to do something
- suffrage: the right to vote
- majority: when a political party has more than half of the total seats in a group, e.g. a council or a parliament; in a majority, the party needs at least one more seat than half of all the seats available
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Everyone automatically gets a chance to vote in a UK election.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
There are many eligibility criteria for voting, e.g. age and residency. To register to vote, an eligible person must complete an online or paper form with their details.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'election'
when people vote to choose leaders or representatives for public positions.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Everyone automatically gets a chance to vote in a UK election. Correction: Not all residents are eligible to vote or are registered to vote. Some may miss out on elections if they don't register in time or are unaware of the process.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 7 Citizenship guide library.