School pupils in Scotland have been invited to take part in mock elections as part of a campaign to raise awareness of this year's Holyrood vote.

The Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel, launched the Hansard Society's Mock Elections on Wednesday.

Concerns have been raised about falling turnouts at UK elections and projects aimed at engaging young voters and would-be voters have been seen as a key to reversing the downward trend.

As part of this year's mock elections, every school in Scotland has been sent a wallchart explaining how to conduct an election.

This is a great chance for school students to have their voices heard Sir David Steel

Schools have been encouraged to conduct their own elections with the materials and ideas sent to them by the Hansard Society - which exists to promote effective parliamentary democracy.

The society said 125 schools, both primary and secondary, have so far registered for the scheme from Orkney down to the Borders.

In early February information will be sent out to teachers on how to run a mock election.

The society said it hopes to announce the results the day before the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in May.

Sir David Steel said he hopes every school in Scotland will get involved in debating the issues which matter as the country prepares to go to the polls.

'Great chance'

He said: "Even if you have to wait until 2007 or beyond to cast a vote officially, this is still a great chance for school students to have their voices heard by taking part in their school's mock election.

"I wish all the student candidates a good campaign and await the results with much interest."

In 1999 the first programme of Scottish mock elections ran alongside the elections to the new Scottish Parliament.

Sir David is launching the mock elections

For the 2001 general elections, the project was relaunched under the new heading Y Vote and schools in every Scottish constituency took part.

Y Vote sees students stand as candidates, devise manifestos and run election campaigns.

They also take part in hustings and vote for the candidate of their choice.

Y Vote targets pupils over the age of nine, but many schools introduce pupils as young as five and six to the scheme to teach the basic principles of voting at the earliest opportunity.

Pupils from Alloa Academy in Stirlingshire attended the launch at Holyrood on Wednesday afternoon.

Members of the Electoral Commission and the Educational Institute of Scotland union, backers of the mock elections, were also present at the event along with representatives of the Hansard Society.