UK reduces election age to 16 years - new government plans

planned reforms and their importance

If the reforms were accepted by Parliament, the national elections would in future match the elections in Scotland, Wales and the Canal Islands, where there are already younger voters on the urn. "Young people earn a say in the future of our democracy," said Rushanara Ali, State Secretary in the lower house, on Thursday.

goals of the government

“When we got power a little more than a year ago, the government in its manifesto undertook to introduce measures to strengthen our valuable democracy and to maintain the integrity of our elections," added Ali. The United Kingdom's advance could already come into force to the next parliamentary election and follow a growing global trend to rejuvenate the right to vote.

reactions to the reform proposals

Darren Hughes, Managing Director of Electoral Reform Society, welcomed the proposed reforms. He told CNN that the reduction of the age would “help more young people to give up their important and habitual voice while they are supported by civil education.” "Participation in elections is a vital sign for the health of our democracy. If fewer people vote, our democracy becomes weaker," added Hughes.

international comparisons

In 2008, Austria became the first European country to reduce the national age to 16 years, followed by Malta a decade later. In South America, countries such as Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Argentina have allowed voting from the age of 16 for years. In many other parts of the world, however, 18 remains the standard minimum age for voting. In Asia, countries such as Indonesia and East Timor have set the border for 17 years, while Singapore, Lebanon and Oman ask their citizens until they are 21 years old.

criticism and concerns within the UK

Within the United Kingdom, the government's intention has caused skeptical reactions. James Yucel, head of the campaigns at the Center Rights Thinking Factory onward, told CNN that the proposal was "not a nober-grade initiative to promote democracy", but rather “political engineering, which aims to increase support for the Labor Party.”

opinion polls and influence of young voters

Younger voters tend to tend to the Labor party more in opinion polls and elections than the main opposition, the conservatives. The reform proposal met with criticism of the conservatives on Thursday, whereby the member of the Cabinet, Paul Holmes, said in the lower house, said: “Why does this government think that a 16-year-old can vote, but not play in the lottery, buy alcohol, marry or move into a war, let alone in the elections in which he can stand up?”

Expansion of the requirements for voter ID cards

In addition, the reforms would expand the reforms to include digital formats of existing ID cards, such as driver's licenses and veterans. Maps issued by banks in Great Britain would also be accepted.