Votes at 16: The UK's Electoral Age Debate

Today, we examine the UK's voting age debate. Currently, it's 18 for UK-wide elections, but 16 for devolved elections in Scotland and Wales. The UK Government plans to reduce the age for reserved elections to 16 by the next general election. We discuss arguments for, such as boosting youth engagement and aligning with other rights, and arguments against, like concerns over maturity. Research suggests 16-year-olds vote more in their first election than 18-year-olds, with little impact on overall results.

Key Takeaways:

• UK voting age is 18 for UK Parliament and England local elections, but 16 for Scottish and Welsh devolved elections.
• The UK Government aims to lower the voting age to 16 for reserved elections by the next general election.
• Supporters highlight existing rights for 16-year-olds (e.g., work, pay tax) and potential for increased political engagement.
• Opponents question youth maturity and note other age limits (e.g., alcohol, candidacy).
• Evidence from abroad suggests 16-year-olds vote more in their first election than 18-year-olds and have little impact on overall results.
• Political education is vital for effective youth participation.

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Reserved Elections: Elections where rules are set by the UK Parliament (e.g., UK General Elections).
• Devolved Elections: Elections where rules are set by the Scottish or Welsh Parliaments (e.g., Scottish Parliament, Senedd).
• Attainers: People who can register to vote before reaching the legal voting age.

Discussion and Reflection Question: Given the arguments for and against, what are the most crucial factors society should weigh when deciding the voting age for national elections?

Source: Voting age
Research Briefing
Published Wednesday, 23 July, 2025

Transcript

Amy: 0:00

Hello and welcome again to The Bench Report. Concise summaries of debates and briefings from the benches of the UK Parliament. A new topic every episode. You're listening to Amy and Ivan. Today we're looking at something pretty fundamental. the UK's voting age, and, well, it is an actual uniform across the board.

Ivan: 0:22

That's right. You've got reserved elections, UK Parliament, local elections in England, police and crime commissioners, where it's 18.

Amy: 0:29

But then you head over to Scotland or Wales.

Ivan: 0:31

And for their devolved elections, Scottish Parliament, synded CIMRU, local councils, the age drops to 16.

Amy: 0:39

And the really big news, the recent development came this past July 2025. The UK government confirmed it intends to legislate to bring that voting age for reserved elections down to 16.

Ivan: 0:51

And they're aiming to do that in time for the next general election.

Amy: 0:53

Which is a quite a significant shift. It actually mirrors a commitment Labour made previously.

Ivan: 0:58

It does. And the idea is partly about consistency, isn't it? Bringing those UK wide votes in line with Scotland and Wales.

Amy: 1:05

And the government's rationale.

Ivan: 1:07

Well, they point out that 16 and 17 Nine-year-olds are often working, paying taxes, contributing to society.

Amy: 1:13

So they should have a say in how things are run.

Ivan: 1:16

That's the core argument for participation, yes.

Amy: 1:18

Which naturally brings us to the debate itself, because there are strong feelings on both sides.

Ivan: 1:23

Absolutely.

Amy: 1:23

On the force side, you have quite a few political parties arguing that if 16 and 17 year olds have other serious rights.

Ivan: 1:30

Like joining the army or getting married, though with parental consent in both cases.

Amy: 1:35

Then voting fits into that picture. And there's the argument it boosts political engagement early on.

Ivan: 1:41

We saw that play out in Scotland, didn't we?

Amy: 1:43

We did. Ruth Davidson, former Scottish conservative leader actually changed her view.

Ivan: 1:48

She did. After the attendance referendum, seeing how engaged 16 and 17 year olds were.

Amy: 1:53

Her quote was quite direct. They are old enough to vote, too.

Ivan: 1:58

But as you said, there's opposition primarily from the Conservative Party and the DUP.

Amy: 2:02

Yes. And figures like Paul Holmes have raised questions about, well, consistency from the other direction.

Ivan: 2:08

His point being, why allow a 16 year old to vote but not buy a lottery ticket?

Amy: 2:13

or alcohol or marry without consent or even stand for election themselves.

Ivan: 2:19

Nigel Farage raised similar points about candidacy age, too. It highlights this tension around when adulthood, with all its rights and responsibilities, truly begins.

Amy: 2:28

It does. And interestingly, public opinion, broadly speaking, hasn't been hugely supportive.

Ivan: 2:34

The polling data suggests that, yes, overall opposition around 47 percent, support at 28 percent.

Amy: 2:39

But that picture changes when you look at younger people.

Ivan: 2:42

It does. Aged 18 to 26 are much more in favor. And the Scottish experience is fascinating here.

Amy: 2:49

Oh, so.

Ivan: 2:50

Before the change there, about two-thirds were opposed. After it happened.

Amy: 2:53

Support went up.

Ivan: 2:54

Flipped to 60% support. And an expert panel in Wales concluded something quite profound.

Amy: 3:00

Which was?

Ivan: 3:00

That there's really no single age where someone suddenly acquires all adult rights and responsibilities. It's more gradual.

Amy: 3:07

That makes sense. Now, you mentioned earlier potential impacts on turnout. There were concerns back in 1970 when the age dropped to 18.

Ivan: 3:14

Yes, that it correlated with lower turnout. maybe because young adults were moving less settled.

Amy: 3:20

But the research for 16-year-olds suggests something different.

Ivan: 3:22

Quite different, actually. Evidence from places like Austria and Scotland, where they already have voting at 16, is quite revealing. In what way? It shows 16- and 17-year-olds are often more likely to vote than those slightly older first-time voters, say 18 to 21.

Amy: 3:38

Really? Why might that be? A

Ivan: 3:40

key factor seems to be living at home. Being in a more stable environment, perhaps influenced by family discussion, seems to help form that initial voting habit.

Amy: 3:49

And that first vote is crucial.

Ivan: 3:52

It can be. Studies suggest this early participation can lead to higher turnout throughout their lives. It builds a habit.

Amy: 3:58

So far from lowering overall turnout, it might actually boost it long term.

Ivan: 4:02

That's the potential, yes. Plus, there's evidence of increased political discussion and general engagement among those younger voters.

Amy: 4:09

Important practical points, too, like data protection.

Ivan: 4:12

Definitely. Both Scotland and Wales have specific measures to protect the registration data for under-16s while they are attainers registered but waiting to reach voting age. And

Amy: 4:22

we should mention UNICEF's point lowering the voting age shouldn't be conflated with lowering child protection standards.

Ivan: 4:29

An essential distinction. It's about political empowerment, not removing necessary safeguards.

Amy: 4:35

This also shines a light on political education, doesn't it?

Ivan: 4:38

Critically. Many teachers in England feel the curriculum doesn't quite equip students for voting. If you lower the age, effective citizenship education becomes even more vital.

Amy: 4:48

And maybe practical things like registration.

Ivan: 4:50

Automatic voter registration could be huge, especially for young people who might not have family encouraging them. It removes a barrier.

Amy: 4:58

So considering all this, particularly the potential for fostering that lifelong voting habit right from 16... Could this change actually be a key tool in tackling declining voter turnout? A way to engage citizens right from the start. It's certainly something to think about. As always, find us on social media at Bench Report UK. Get in touch with any topic important to you.

Ivan: 5:18

Remember, politics is everyone's business.

Amy: 5:22

Take care.