JADE Goody knows it; George W Bush knows it, and they're not the sharpest tools in the box. Scottish politicians and councillors are pretty keen that you know it too, especially with a double whammy of elections just months away. Voting, they will tell you, matters. Every vote, they will say, counts.

Press them a bit and they'll admit that your vote, as a young person, is particularly important. Statistically, there are fewer of you doing it than any other age group, and it's causing everything from itchy scalps to fullblown panic. It's just an X in a box (or a few numbers for the council elections), they'll remind you, like a game show - well, nearly.

In their parents' house in Ayr, the MacDonald brothers have voting on the brain. Their run in the finals of The X Factor saw them finish a respectable fourth, despite the best efforts of judge Simon Cowell to discredit them. But judging by their smiles, they're not bitter.

"We'd never voted for anyone in The X Factor before, " says Brian, 19. "Now we've been through it you see that every vote really counts and just how important it is. After we went out we were voting for [fellow contestant] Ben Mills to win. He still lost but that's the way it goes." Craig, 20, tells of the duo being swamped by fans of the show since their elimination. The pair finish each other's sentences like the double act they are in real life too ­ keeping up is like watching tennis.

"This will be the first time we're old enough to vote in the Scottish elections, " says Craig, "although we voted in the last general election [in 2005]. It's really just about taking an interest in what matters most to you. People in The X Factor were looking at what they liked best and that's what they were voting for." In terms of popularity, politicians might have some lessons to learn from reality shows. But while seeing them locked up for a few weeks might prove popular, watching first minister Jack McConnell, SNP leader Alex Salmond and other party leaders battle it out by means of their renditions of Shang-A-Lang and 500 Miles might be a step too far.

Regardless, the May elections for Holyrood have already built up a decent head of steam.

And with local councillors fighting for votes on the same day, there is plenty at stake. Scotland's place within the United Kingdom, education and the environment are just some of the big issues.

Excited? You should be.

"People don't think [political] voting has the same appeal as the big entertainment shows, but it's more important because it affects how your life's going to be run, " says Craig. "Some people sit there and say 'I can't believe they are in charge of the country' but they don't do anything about it when it matters." The mechanics of voting ­ registering to vote, going to a polling station, marking a couple of crosses and a few numbers ­ are not difficult and electronic voting is already being tested for the future.

When election time rolls around, one of the big topics of debate ­ aside from the political issues that will sway people to vote one way or another ­ is that of voter apathy, especially among young people. You perhaps think politicians don't engage with you (though rest assured that older people feel the same way); or think that your concerns aren't being taken seriously (ditto); and you don't understand the differences between the parties (snap).

But Greg Sanderson of the Hansard Society, which runs mock elections at Scottish schools, thinks the apathy card is a bogey. "I think young people have a real interest in politics. The real problem is when they can't connect with political institutions." Dropping the slanging matches might be one of the answers, says Gayle Campbell, 19, who is the health convener for the Scottish Youth Parliament. "If politicians were more positive, and actually showed it in their actions, young people and the general public would be more positive too." Whether we can expect all-singing, alldancing politicians any time soon is one thing.

But, like the best of Saturday night telly, there will be tension and drama all the way.

"For our survival [on X Factor] we needed the votes and it's the same thing on May 3, " says Brian. "You need to get out there and vote. It's something that you have to do and it should be encouraged all the way."