US Edition16 and 17 year olds will be able to vote in next general election
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 17 – Labour's reforms aim to increase youth participation by adding 1.6 million new voters and expanding voter ID options to include bank cards, tackling barriers and foreign interference.
- For the first time, 16 and 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote, with ministers said on Thursday this marks seismic democratic reforms in the UK.
- Amid worries over low public trust, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said, `for too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline`.
- To modernise the voting process, the government said it will introduce automated voter registration and allow bank cards as ID, adding reforms to boost participation.
- Opposition politicians accused Labour of trying to manipulate the electorate, with critics arguing it could disenfranchise millions, particularly young, poor, and ethnic minorities.
- Looking ahead, the reforms will add around 9.5 million voters and must be implemented by 2029, supporting democratic modernization across the UK.
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293 Articles
UK lowers voting age to 16 in historic electoral reform
The UK's Labour Party on Thursday passed a landmark electoral reform, aligning with Scotland and Wales in lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. The change fulfills a key promise by the ruling party but garnered criticism from the Conservative Party, which questions whether 16-year-olds are old enough to vote when they can't get married or stand for election.
The British Labour Party is accused of planning to manipulate the electoral system by giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote, while opinion polls show that the majority of young people either would not vote or support the Labour Party. The plan has been fiercely attacked, with the Conservatives saying it is just a desperate political move to stay in power.
The UK government announced today that sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds will be allowed to vote in the next general election.
Britain is lowering the voting age from 18 to 16, the Labour government has announced, while measures are being planned to protect elections from foreign influence.
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