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Year 7

Why is registering to vote so important?

I can explain how an eligible person can register to vote and why voting in local elections matters.

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New
New
Year 7

Why is registering to vote so important?

I can explain how an eligible person can register to vote and why voting in local elections matters.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are many eligibility criteria for voting, e.g. age and residency.
  2. To register to vote, an eligible person must complete an online or paper form with their details.
  3. Local elections give communities the opportunity to choose who they want to make decisions on essential services.
  4. Voter registration drives aim to encourage people to join the electoral roll and vote on polling day.
  5. The political party with the majority (50% +1) gains overall power of the council, which gives them more control.

Keywords

  • 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 misconception

Everyone automatically gets a chance to vote in a UK election.

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.


To help you plan your year 7 citizenship lesson on: Why is registering to vote so important?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

For Task C, teachers may want to direct pupils to create the leaflet in its entirety, rather than just preparing the text for the leaflet.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What campaign method is specifically being used when candidates use an online presence to advertise their policies and ideas?
canvassing
flyers and posters
community events
Correct answer: social media
Q2.
Put the six steps of the election process in order.
1 - Candidates are selected by the party/independent candidates put themselves up.
2 - Candidates finalise their manifesto.
3 - Candidates begin their election campaign.
4 - Polling day: voters cast their vote in a secret ballot.
5 - The count takes place shortly after polling stations close.
6 - The winners are declared.
Q3.
A councillor/candidate may be independent, which means they __________ belong to a political party.
do
Correct answer: do not
Q4.
The rules about being allowed to vote are __________ across the countries of the UK.
the same
Correct answer: different
Q5.
For many years in the UK, voting rights in the UK were not ...
Correct Answer: equal, fair, the same
Q6.
Match the word with its correct definition.
Correct Answer:suffrage,the right to vote

the right to vote

Correct Answer:election,the formal process of voting to choose representatives

the formal process of voting to choose representatives

Correct Answer:manifesto,a statement outlining a candidate's policies and ideas

a statement outlining a candidate's policies and ideas

Correct Answer:majority ,having more than 50% of the total available

having more than 50% of the total available

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Registering to vote can be done on a paper form or ...
Correct Answer: online, on the internet, online form, internet form
Q2.
If a political party holds 50% +1 of all the seats available, it is known as having the ...
most
seats
council
Correct answer: majority
Q3.
What is the main reason for having a voter registration drive?
Correct answer: to encourage people to register, inform them of the process and vote
to allow celebrities and influencers to have their say
to advertise the candidates' policies and manifestos
to make sure your chosen candidate definitely gets their seat
Q4.
Put these events into the order that they happened with regards to suffrage in the UK.
1 - Wealthy men and landowners are the only ones allowed to vote.
2 - The fight for women's suffrage increases.
3 - Female landowners aged 30+ and working class men are granted suffrage.
4 - Requirement to own property is removed. Voting age is lowered to 21 for all.
5 - The voting age is lowered to 18 for all, which remains the case for most of UK.
Q5.
Finish the sentences by matching them to the correct words.
Correct Answer:Residents should get a say in ...,who runs the local council.

who runs the local council.

Correct Answer:Elections are a key part of ...,local democracy.

local democracy.

Correct Answer:The right to vote is known as ...,suffrage.

suffrage.

Correct Answer:Registering to vote includes you on ...,the electoral roll.

the electoral roll.

Q6.
To be eligible to vote, people must meet which criteria?
Correct answer: residency
educational
wealth
Correct answer: nationality
Correct answer: age