NEXT year will see those aged between 16 and 17 become eligible to vote in the Senedd elections.

To mark this historic occasion, Wrexham Council asked Wrexham’s Senedd Yr Ifanc if they would like to nominate a young person to speak on their behalf and encourage young people to get registered to vote.

They stated that they were not disappointed and are now pleased to introduce Katie Hill, who is going to be championing registering to vote among young people over the coming months.

Katie Hill, aged 15, who is a Member of UK Youth Parliament for Wrexham 2020-22, spoke of what she thinks of her new role and the future impact it could have on Wales.

She said: "I represent the views and opinions of Wrexham’s Young People, and so when the Senedd yr Ifanc, Wrexham’s Youth Parliament, had the opportunity to get involved in campaigning to encourage 16 and 17 year olds in Wrexham to vote in the 2021 Welsh election, I knew I just had to get involved.

"Many of you may be wondering why a 15 year old is encouraging young people to vote in the next election, I mean I can’t even vote yet myself and yet I’m telling others to vote.

"Well the reason I’m doing this is because I am extremely passionate about young people using their voices.

"Whether campaigning on a local issue, protesting for justice or voting in elections, I believe that every person should advocate on issues they are passionate about so that their voices can be heard.

"Under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of a Child, young people have the right to be listened to by decision makers, and so I feel it is important for 16 and 17 year olds to have the vote and to exercise that vote.

"Even though I cannot vote in this election, as I will not be 16, I still feel privileged to be able to campaign on this issue and I hope many young people from Wrexham do use their voices and vote in the 2021 Welsh election."

A spokesperson for Wrexham Council, added: "We’d like to thank Katie for the time she has put into this already and we know she’ll be committed to encouraging young people to register and ultimately vote next year.

"If you’re over the age of 14 you should be on the electoral role, your parents can do this for you but please remind them to do it as it will be a big change for them.

"Once that’s done you can register to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote."