STUDYING, sleeping, watching Deal Or No Deal ­ the reasons why young people don't vote are many.

Other, more serious, factors include: not being registered; not knowing what to do; or even not knowing what day it's all happening on. In a bid to increase the number of 18 to 24 year olds that participate from the 42-per cent that voted in 2003, the Scottish Executive and the Electoral Commission have created the VoteScotland campaign to inform people of all ages about the Scottish Parliamentary and council elections on May 3 and to encourage everyone to vote.

A small marquee set up by an infoscotland vehicle team in the pouring rain outside Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, is one part of a trio of VoteScotland methods hitting the road to motivate and inform young voters. Another infoscotland vehicle is on the road, along with the VoteScotland Truck. Over the next five weeks, the roadshow will cover the length and breadth of Scotland, from Lerwick in the extreme north to Stranraer in the south. A total of 39 towns and cities will be visited, allowing people to, among other things, play digital games to find out how the voting systems work and experience a virtual walk through a polling station.

With the rain coming down hard, some of the third year students head inside the student union for a chat about politics and voting, leaving the team to battle the elements outside.

"Well it [the roadshow] all seems like a really good idea to me, " says Chris Sutherland, 21, from Edinburgh.

"While people know about the elections, they can't really be bothered. People need that wee bit of motivation to actually go and do it. We need someone to push us because half of us here in Scotland just can't be bothered." It quickly becomes clear that Business Management student Chris and fellow VoteScotland guinea-pig Karina Richardson, 20, have a lot to say on voting.

"I don't think a lot of us realise that politics affects every single thing in our lives, " says Chris, before Karina adds, "But too many people are happy to sit back and complain about what is wrong with the world but not enough of them bother to get out and vote, which is pretty silly." Chris and Karina are pretty clued up on their politics, each holding personal views on different parties as well as offering suggestions ­ from blaming schools, to parents, to outright laziness ­ on why the turnout among young people is so poor. Both have voted whenever possible in parliamentary elections and, more recently, in the student elections within university. Yet though they are keen to endorse the campaign, politically savvy as they are, they aren't the only group of young people that VoteScotland is after.

Bar worker Jack Melville, 21, from Ayr, is very much part a key group the organisers want to target. Jack's views on voting are typical of many of the 58-per cent in his age group that stayed away in 2003.

"Personally, I don't believe my own vote matters all that much and as a result I've never had the desire or motivation to read what is being campaigned for, " he says.

"When it comes to the process, having never taken part, I'm not really sure about how to go about it ­ I couldn't even tell you if I'm registered or not ­ and I suppose that puts me off a bit." But what about digital features the roadshow highlights, such as the chance to practise filling out out a ballot online and the option to sign up for a text reminder to vote. Does that make voting more palatable for Jack? "Yeah, certainly awareness helps and I'll probably have a look when the roadshow comes to Ayr. If it explains to me how to go about it and where to do it, it would make me more likely to break my voting duck." So will he be voting come May 3? "Well if someone texts me to remind me in the morning, there's a chance, yeah."

The VoteScotland roadshow is coming to a town near YOU.