Our Council Elections
Thursday, May 08, 2008
My name is Conlaine Devlin. I have been councillor for a year now at Ballynure Primary School. This is a short piece of writing to tell you about how our council elections work and how interesting it is to participate in. Everyone in classes P3 to P7 makes a manifesto. A manifesto is a page, about you, with your picture on it. It tells who ever is reading it a bit about yourself. It also tells them how you would make a good councillor. First you choose if you want to be a councillor and then you put your name forward for voting .Then you make a speech, telling everyone why you would make such a great councillor. Some people read a poem about themselves instead. We have a day where we listen to other peoples poems and speeches. This is called the Hustings. Everyone who votes must have an ID card but if not they must go back to the classroom and make one. Next, we get a voting slip and tick the name of the person in our class we wish to vote for. The votes are added up and checked in case someone has voted more than once. If there is a tied vote our headmistress comes around the classroom where the fuss is going on and gives us another voting slip each.
The councillors are then announced in the next assembly.
The councillors attend meetings about once a month. We talk to our class and bring their ideas to the next meeting.
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My name is Christian I am 9 years old and I go to Ballynure P.S. I am currently acting as a School Councillor and I am going to tell you what happens during our election proceedings.
First, we produce a manifesto. All classes P3-7 make one. We type it out on the computer, explaining why we think we might make a good councillor. We always include a photograph of ourselves to show exactly who we are. Next, we choose if we want our name to appear on the election list so people can vote for us. The next day we read our election speeches to each other. This is called the Hustings. On Election Day we vote for the person we think would make the best councillor. We must bring an ID card so we can vote. Next we go to the table and give our ID to the P7 who is there; we get a voting sheet and vote. Don’t let anyone see who you are voting for! Then we put our sheet in the ballet box.When there’s a tied vote the class will vote again and whoever gets the most votes wins. After the voting, we wait until the principal tells us to go to the assembly hall. Then she calls out the names of the councillors, they get their badges and their picture taken. The councillors attend meetings during the year and get ideas from their class to discuss at meetings. I have really enjoyed my time as school councillor this year.
Conlaine Devlin, Christian Montgomery, Primary Five, Ballynure Primary School
