Key Facts

• Clause 1 extends voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds for various UK elections.
• Approximately 1.7 million eligible 16 and 17-year-olds would gain the right to vote.
• Amendment 33 requires a report on why the voting age differs from the age of majority before extending voting rights.
• In the UK, adulthood and full citizenship rights are granted at age 18.
• At 16, individuals cannot marry or join the armed forces without parental consent.
• Those aged 16 and 17 are exempted from paying council tax.
• The Conservative party believes the age of majority should be consistent at 18.
• There was no significant change in participation rates when Scotland lowered the voting age for the independence referendum.
• David Runciman argues for a voting age of six, suggesting that competency is not required to vote.
• The Labour Government introduced voting at 18 when the speaker was elected as a councillor.
• The current government's proposal allows 16-year-olds to vote but mandates them to remain in education until 18, preventing tax payment.
• There is inconsistency with other rights and responsibilities where 16-year-olds cannot join the armed forces or secure a bank account without parental support.
• Paul Holmes contends that full legal adulthood should be at age 18.
• Amendment 33 would delay part 1 of the Bill coming into force until a review is conducted.
• The voting age in Scotland and Wales for devolved elections is already 16.
• Turnout in the general election was just 59.9% in 2024, narrowly avoiding the 2001 historic low of 59.4%.
• Registration levels for 18 and 19-year-olds are only 60%, compared with 96% of those aged 65 and over.
• In Austria, Scotland, and Germany, enfranchised 16 or 17-year-olds were more likely to turn out to vote into their twenties than those who first voted at 18.
• The 2024 British social attitudes survey recorded a new low level of trust with only 12% of people trusting Governments.
• Young voters in Germany have positively impacted family discussions about politics.
• Scottish and Welsh 16 and 17-year-olds are already enfranchised to vote in devolved and local elections.
• The last Labour Government raised the age for buying cigarettes from 16 to 18.
• Government is committed to allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.
• Representation from age 18 will follow Scotland and Wales standards.
• Department for Education aims to make citizenship compulsory in primary schools starting last November.
• Clause 2 extends voting disenfranchisement to 16 and 17-year-old convicted prisoners.
• New clause 9 aims to allow prisoners serving up to four years to vote, which the Government opposes.
• The extension applies to UK parliamentary elections, police and crime commissioner elections, Northern Ireland Assembly elections, and local elections in England and Northern Ireland but not in Wales or Scotland.
• New clause 9 seeks to extend voting rights to prisoners serving sentences of four years or less.
• Prisoners traditionally become eligible for release after serving half their sentence at the four-year mark.
• The speaker supports encouraging prisoners to engage in prosocial behaviour, including voting.
• In 2005, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the UK’s blanket ban on voting rights for prisoners was unlawful.
• The UK extended voting rights to certain categories of prisoners in 2017.
• More than 21,000 people are currently missing out on the right to vote while serving sentences.
• Studies show a positive impact on rehabilitation and resettlement when prisoners retain their right to vote.
• About 420 young people aged 16 and 17 are in custody at any one time.
• The UK's prisoner rights voting policy was recently upheld by the European Court of Human Rights without finding any violation.
• The Bill reflects the Government's policy that convicted prisoners aged 16 and 17 cannot vote.
• The Minister will provide further details in writing regarding discussions with the Department for Education on secure accommodation for children.
• Clause 4 relates to declarations of local connection for looked-after children and detained persons.
• Clause 5 is also discussed alongside Clause 4.
• The aim is to provide clarity and support for those who may face barriers in registering to vote.
• Amendment 5 proposes adding 'and recall petitions' to the Representation of the People Bill.
• The amendment is a follow-up to another proposed amendment (amendment 7).
• The statement discusses improving voter registration for young people and service families.
• Clause 6 and schedule 1 amend legislation to align with the change to the voting age of 16.
• Government amendments remove restrictions on EU citizens under 18 for certain roles.
• Electoral registration officers (EROs) will add eligible young voters directly to the UK parliamentary register without requiring additional applications.
• Clause 7 prohibits electoral registration officers from publishing, supplying, or otherwise disclosing registration information of individuals under the age of 16.
• Registration information includes entries on the electoral register and records of absent voting arrangements.
• Clause 8 outlines five specific circumstances in which EROs may share registration information despite clause 7's prohibitions.