- The proposed changes are subject to parliamentary approval.
- Reduction in the age of voting at 16 has no impact on election results.
- The study shows that 16 -year -olds are more likely to vote than 18-Saux of the year.
The British government announced Thursday that it planned to give young people aged 16 and 17 the right to vote for all British elections, marking a major overhaul of the country’s democratic system.
The government said that the proposed changes, which are subject to parliamentary approval, would align voting rights across the United Kingdom with Scotland and Wales, where young voters are already participating in devolved elections.
“We take measures to break the obstacles to participation that guarantee that more people have the opportunity to engage in British democracy,” said Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in a statement.
The participation rate in the general elections of 2024 was 59.7%, the lowest in a general election since 2001, according to a parliamentary report.
According to the Library of the House of Commons, the research from countries which lowered the age of voting at 16 shows that this had no impact on the results of the elections, and that the 16 -year -olds were more likely to vote than those who are eligible for 18 years.
The work, whose popularity has dropped sharply to the government after being elected by a landslide a year ago, said it would reduce the age of voting if it were elected.
The reforms would also expand the voter ID acceptable to include bank cards and digital formats issued by the United Kingdom of existing IDs, such as driving licenses and veterans cards.
To combat foreign interference, the government said that it also planned to tighten the rules on political donations, including checks on contributions of more than £ 500 ($ 670) from associations not constituted in society and closing gaps used by screens.
