Lowering voting age to 16 for national elections in the United Kingdom announced
In a bid to modernize the UK's democracy and boost voter turnout, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed his support for lowering the voting age to include 16- and 17-year-olds. This move, if implemented, would position the UK among a select group of countries that allow younger citizens to participate in national elections.
While several countries have already adopted this practice, it is not widespread. For instance, in Germany, 16-year-olds can vote in some state elections but not in federal elections. Scotland, Wales, and Malta, on the other hand, allow 16-year-olds to vote in local and national elections, such as the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament elections. Paraguay and, more recently, Malta have lowered the voting age to 16 for all national elections.
However, it's important to note that the specifics can change over time, and not all countries consistently apply lower voting ages across all types of elections. For the latest information, it's advisable to check current electoral laws in each country.
The Labour Party, which came into power last year, had pledged to make this shift, and the British government is now planning to bring legislation before parliament to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in general elections. With a comfortable majority, the government seems poised to implement this change.
This move is part of a series of planned changes aimed at modernizing the UK's democratic system. Automated voter registration, similar to systems already used in Australia and Canada, is another proposed change. These reforms, if enacted, could add 9.5 million people to the voter rolls.
The changes are seen by some, such as Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the Institute For Public Policy Research, as the biggest reform to the UK's electoral system since 1969, when the voting age was lowered to 18. Quilter-Pinner believes that the UK's democracy is in crisis and could reach a tipping point where politics loses its legitimacy, making these changes necessary.
However, not everyone agrees. Critics argue that the voting age change is self-serving, as newly-enfranchised teenagers are seen as more likely to support the centre-left Labour party. Nonetheless, the government remains steadfast in its commitment to modernizing the UK's democratic system.
In addition to the changes to the voting age, the UK government also plans to make UK-issued bank cards accepted as a form of ID at polling stations, addressing concerns raised by the Electoral Commission about the implementation of photo ID requirements in the previous electoral law, which led to around 750,000 people not voting in last year's election.
These changes mark a significant shift in the UK's democratic system, aiming to make it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all its citizens.
- The Labour Party, which recently came into power, had pledged to lower the voting age to include 16- and 17-year-olds in general elections, similar to changes implemented in countries like Paraguay and Malta.
- If enacted, these changes could bring the UK's democratic system closer to national electoral practices in Malta and Scotland, where 16-year-olds can vote in local and national elections.
- However, critics argue that lowering the voting age is self-serving, as newly-enfranchised teenagers might be more likely to support the centre-left Labour party.
- The UK government also plans to make UK-issued bank cards accepted as a form of ID at polling stations, addressing concerns raised by the Electoral Commission about the implementation of photo ID requirements in previous electoral laws, which led to around 750,000 people not voting in last year's election.
