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UK to lower voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reform
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
The UK government proposes lowering the voting age to 16, aligning with Scotland and Wales, and plans reforms to enhance voter ID and donation rules.
LONDON (Reuters) -The British government said on Thursday it planned to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections in a major overhaul of the country's democratic system.
The government said the proposed changes, which are subject to parliament approvals, would align voting rights across the UK with Scotland and Wales, where younger voters already participate in devolved elections.
"We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy," Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said in a statement.
Turnout at the 2024 general election was 59.7%, the lowest at a general election since 2001, according to a parliamentary report.
According to the House of Commons library, research from countries that have lowered the voting age to 16 shows it has had no impact on election outcomes, and that 16-year-olds were more likely to vote than those first eligible at 18.
Labour, whose popularity has fallen sharply in government after being elected by a landslide a year ago, had said it would lower the voting age if elected.
The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include UK-issued bank cards and digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licences and Veteran Cards.
To tackle foreign interference, the government said it also planned to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over 500 pounds ($670) from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies.
($1 = 0.7462 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti and Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton)
The British government plans to lower the voting age to 16 for all UK elections.
Turnout at the 2024 general election was reported at 59.7%, the lowest since 2001.
The reforms would expand acceptable voter ID to include UK-issued bank cards and digital formats of existing IDs.
The proposed changes would align voting rights across the UK with Scotland and Wales, where 16 and 17-year-olds can already vote.
The government plans to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over 500 pounds from unincorporated associations.
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