Pupils from the 28 secondary schools in the Highlands go to the polls this week to elect 75 representatives to the new Highland Youth Voice, the youth parliament for the Highlands.

Voting takes place from today (Monday) until Thursday and results will be announced on Friday. Pupils can choose to either vote on-line at www.highlandyouthvoice.org  or cast their vote in the more traditional method, by putting an X on to a ballot slip.

The elections have generated a buzz in schools. Millburn Academy in Inverness has a record number of candidates standing, with 14 would-be Members of the Parliament busy canvassing their fellow pupils. All candidates have been conducting election campaigns, using assemblies and posters to promote themselves and recruiting fellow students on to their campaign team.

Organisers expect the turnout to be high. At the first election in 1999 Gairloch Academy had a record 95% turnout. The youth parliament allows young people to have their say on issues concerning them and other young people in their area. Members have been very actively involved in decision-making by working closely with agencies to ensure that the voice of young people is heard.

Over the last three years Highland Youth Voice members have:-

• contributed fully in a Scottish Parliament debate on education and young people;
   
• driven forward new initiatives on drugs, crime and young people getting involved in public life;
   
• received professional help to produce a drugs video;
   
• become actively involved in promoting the bid made by Inverness and the Highlands to be European Capital of Culture in 2008;
   
• met with Nicol Stephen MSP, Deputy Minister for Education and Young people to discuss the National Debate on Education;
   
• sent a delegation to Edinburgh to meet Scottish Drugs Minister, Dr Richard Simpson;

• worked with local Drugs Action Team to produce a leaflet which was widely distributed throughout schools and community bases.

Highland Youth Voice has received local and national recognition for its work. Its website www.highlandyouthvoice.org , developed in partnership with the International Teledemocracy Centre, has been short-leeted for the e-involvement category of the ippr and Guardian Awards 2002.  In June it was voted web-site of the month by UK Youth - the leading organisation for young people and youth workers using the Internet for learning.

Calum Duncan, formerly a 6^th year student from Inverness Royal Academy who is now at university, has been Chairman of the Youth Voice for the last year. He said: "A couple of years is not a long time for any organisation to be active but we have accomplished an outstanding amount in a just a short period. It is very encouraging that our voice is being heard and that our views are valued and taken into account in the decision-making process.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of being Chairman. There is still a lot of hard work to be done and I wish everyone elected on to the new Parliament the very best."

15,000 passwords have been allocated to young people so they can log on to the website to vote.

The Highland Youth Voice is funded by the Highland Wellbeing Alliance which is a grouping of the major agencies in the Highlands including The Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Natural Heritage, NHS Highland, Communities Scotland, Northern Constabulary and the Voluntary Sector.