Democracy assemblies: Preparing young people to vote

How it worked

Two in-person assemblies reached around 270 young people:

• Approximately 120 Year 13 students attended in Antrim.
• Approximately 150 students from Years 12–14 attended in Omagh.

The sessions covered democracy in Northern Ireland, elections, voter registration and eligibility, what happens when someone votes, and other ways to participate. Students also explored misinformation and disinformation.
Short presentations were combined with videos, quizzes, group discussions, agree-or-disagree activities and exercises examining misleading headlines. Competitive activities and small incentives encouraged students to participate.
Delivery was adapted around each school’s timetable. One school held a full-length assembly, while the other divided the content across two shorter sessions.

Impact

Post-session feedback gave average scores of:

• 4.2 out of 5 for understanding how democracy works in Northern Ireland.
• 4.2 out of 5 for knowledge of elections and voting.
• 3.9 out of 5 for confidence discussing politics and democracy.

Overall, 89% of respondents were already registered to vote or said they were more likely to register following the assembly.
Students said they had learned about registration, voter eligibility, elections and misinformation. They identified the games, headline activities and group discussions as the most engaging parts of the sessions.
Teachers rated the assemblies 5 out of 5 for their quality, suitability, delivery and impact on students’ understanding.

Key strengths

The interactive format prevented the assemblies from becoming long presentations. Quizzes, movement, discussion and headline analysis gave students several ways to take part and made complex subjects easier to understand.
The range of activities also worked well for students with different levels of prior knowledge. Key ideas were explained clearly without making the content feel too basic for those who were already interested in politics.
Practical guidance on eligibility, registration and voting helped students understand what they needed to do, while the misinformation activities encouraged them to think critically about political content.
Teachers particularly valued the sessions’ relevance, age-appropriate content and energetic delivery.

Key learning

• Keep assemblies interactive by giving students opportunities to vote, move, discuss and answer questions.
• Explain the basics clearly without assuming young people already understand politics, while leaving space for those who know more to explore issues in greater depth.
• Include practical information young people can act on, such as who is eligible, how to register, and what happens on polling day.
• Create different ways for young people to ask questions and contribute. Some may be happy speaking in a group, while others will be more comfortable asking questions individually.
• Build critical thinking into democratic education. Activities that explore misleading headlines and misinformation can help young people think more carefully about the political information they encounter.

Further Information

For more information about the Democracy Assemblies and related work, visit the Northern Ireland Youth Forum.