Friday, November 14, 2025

The “I Vote Too!” programme was presented at the World Forum for Democracy 2025, as one of the Council of Europe projects to promote youth engagement in electoral processes. The initiative was presented by the Director of the Academy of Political Studies, Mr. Erjon Tase, as part of global models that empower young people to strengthen democratic institutions. Albania’s experience through the “I Vote Too!” programme illustrates how investing in civic education and empowering teachers and students can translate democratic values into action, providing a model for other member states seeking to strengthen youth participation in democratic life. Mr. Tase highlighted in his speech the important role that education in school should play in raising young people’s awareness. “We need to return to basic education, but in an innovative way. Surveys with teachers and students proved once again that the School was the main source of information about the electoral process. This is another confirmation of the program’s objective to include electoral education as part of the formal education curricula in Albania,” he said. Supported by the Council of Europe through the project “Strengthening the Integrity of Elections in Albania”, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, and implemented in cooperation with the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the National Agency for Pre-University Education (AKAP), the initiative reached over 20,000 high school graduates in 335 high schools in the country on the eve of election of 11 may 2025, equipping first-time voters with the knowledge and experience to participate in democratic life.