Constitution, Article 4 | The right to vote

“As a 16-year-old, I would have loved to vote, because I was very socially conscious. I remember giving friends and family members voting advice at the time, both when asked and when I wasn’t.” When I finally stood in the voting booth at the age of 18, I found it a very special experience. I still have the red pencil. Of course, that one vote makes only a small difference. Still, it’s an opportunity to contribute to a better society.”

“Perhaps that’s why I enjoy working with the Apeldoorn Youth Council so much: I would have loved to have been on a council like that myself. It’s absolutely vital that young people’s views are heard. Of course, by no means are all young people politically aware. But almost all of them do have a view on certain issues in society. Sometimes 14-year-olds already have a really good understanding of how society works.”

“Our Youth Council is the largest in the Netherlands: around 50 young people aged between 14 and 21. Some would like to go into politics later on. For them, this is a way of getting a taste of what that’s like. Others simply want to contribute to society. There are also young people who have encountered problems and want to change things. For example, something within youth care.”

“The strength of our Youth Council is that young people really engage in dialogue with civil servants and local politicians. They contribute their ideas on all sorts of issues. Such as the development of the town centre: where, for example, would they like to have places to play or hang out? In this way, we’re trying to bridge the gap between young people and politics. And these young people can see that: they’re really being listened to.”