Voting age to be lowered to 16 by next general election

About 1.5 million 16 and 17 -year -old children will be able to vote in the next general election under the government’s plan to reduce the age of voting.

Democracy Minister Rushanara Ali told the BBC that the “seismic” change would ensure that the voice of the young people is heard.

He confirmed that the pledge would be part of a part of measures initiated through a new election bill.

Other changes include expanding the forms of voter ID to include bank cards issued by the UK, moving towards automated voter registration and tightening the rules on political donations to protect against foreign intervention.

The minimum turnout for the local council elections in Scotland and Wales is already 16 and the Center for Center and Scottish Parliament has elections.

However, for other elections, including the UK Parliament, local elections in England and all elections in Northern Ireland, this is 18.

Reducing the age of voting in Britain to 16 will be the biggest change for voters as it was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1969.

The pledge to reduce the age of voting by 16 was included in the Labor’s election manifesto, but it was not in the speech of the last summer king, which determines the priorities of the government for the next months.

Ali confirmed that the government is planning to start a change in time for children of 16 and 17 years to vote in the next general election, which is scheduled to take place by 2029, but can be called before.

He told the BBC: “At the age of 16, a young man can work, they can pay taxes, they can join the army. So there is no reason from that age, they should not say anything to control our country.”

Ali said that this step will ensure that politicians took into account the concerns of the youth on the issues ranging from crime to education, work and housing.

Other schemes set by the government are expanding the list of IDs approved to vote in bank cards issued by the UK in Great Britain, which displays the voter’s name.

Labor opposed the introduction of voter ID under conservatives in 2023, but in its election manifesto, the party only promised “addressing inconsistencies” in the rules that prevent legitimate voters from voting “, but instead of completely eliminating the policy.

Some 4% of the people who did not vote in last year’s general election said that this voter was due to ID rules, according to the Election Commission.

It was pressurized whether the safety check of digital banks was sufficiently strong to allow the bank card to be used as a valid form of voter ID, Ali said: “We are going to ensure that we take time out to introduce proper changes, and that those changes are gradually done, to ensure that no mistreatment or misunderstanding is there.”

The government said that it will also work towards making an automatic voter registration plan in the coming years, so that people are aware of their registration status with security measures and can opt-out if they want.

Currently people need to register to vote in the UK, which can be done online or a paper form can be used.

The Election Commission estimates that about seven million people are wrongly registered or completely missing from the electoral register, the issue is unevenly affected on the issue to influence private tenants and young people.

A 2023 report suggested that organizations such as passport offices may be included in an automated system, which provide names and addresses of eligible people to vote for electoral registration officers to register them.

The government said that changes in the rules around political donations will help in dealing with foreign intervention.

Currently political parties can only accept donations from registered people on UK’s Election Register or UK-registrated companies who trade in the country.

However, there is a concern that foreign nationals can get around the rules by donating through a foreign company registered in the UK.

This issue came at the forefront at the end of last year, When it was reported that US billionaire Elon Musk can make a donation to improve the UK X through the British hand of its social media company.

Under the schemes, political parties have to assess companies they receive donations to prove their relationship with the UK or Ireland.

Companies will require headquarters in the UK or Ireland, which have been controlled or majority of the UK registered voters or Irish citizens, and they have made enough profit after tax for their donations.

The Election Commission, which oversees elections and controls political finance in the UK, will be able to hand over a large fine of up to 500,000 to those who break the rules.