First time voters in South Ayrshire are asking local people if they’re ready to vote in the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday May 5.

This will be the first Scottish Parliament election where 16 and 17 years olds are eligible to vote.

The young voters – from Ayr, Belmont and Queen Margaret Academies in Ayr – have all registered online to make sure they will be able to have their say in who represents them at the Scottish Parliament.

Registering to vote is easy – it only takes a few minutes and all you need is your National Insurance Number.

Anyone wanting to vote in the Scottish Parliament election must be registered by Monday April 18.

You can register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or using the Ayrshire voter registration app, which is available for Android and Apple devices via the Play Store or App Store.

Calvin Finlayson, 17, from Belmont Academy said: “It’s really important young people make their views count, use their vote and make sure our voices are heard.”

Francesca Davie, 17, also from Belmont, said: “The people who will be elected will be making decisions that affect us all, so please make sure you have your say.”

Ayr Academy’s Kai Green, 17, is also a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Ayr and he said: “Young people fought to get the right to vote, so don’t let it go to waste. Our votes can make a difference.”

Melissa Jamieson, 17, from Queen Margaret Academy, said: “There are loads of places across the world where people don’t have the right to vote, so we have a responsibility to make sure we take advantage of the opportunity to have our say.”

Find out more about voting in the Scottish Parliament election at www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/scottish-election or www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. You can also contact the Electoral Registration Office on 01292 612221