How will votes at 16 and changes to voter ID work?
- Published
The voting age will be lowered to 16 across the UK before the next general election, the government has said.
Other planned changes include allowing more forms of voter ID and moving towards automatic voter registration.
What is the plan to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote?
The changes mean around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the next general election, which must be held by 2029 but could be earlier.
The government says the change will give young people a chance to have a say in how the UK is run.
"At 16, a young person can work, they pay taxes, they can join the Army. So there's no reason why from that age, they shouldn't have a say in who governs our country," said Democracy Minister Rushanara Ali.
The commitment to lower the voting age was in Labour's 2024 election manifesto.
It represents the biggest change to the make-up of the electorate since voter age was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1969.
It means 16-year-olds will be able to vote in all elections across the UK. As is the case in Scotland, young people will also be able to register to vote at 14.
The minimum voting age is already 16 for local council elections in Scotland and Wales, as well as for elections to the Welsh Parliament and Scottish Parliament.
However, you currently need to be 18 to vote in UK parliamentary elections, local elections in England and all elections in Northern Ireland.
You will still need to be 18 to stand as a candidate.
What ID will voters be able to use?
In future, voters will be able to prove their ID with a UK-issued bank card showing their name, the govenment says.
Since May 2023, voters in England, Scotland and Wales have been required to show valid photo ID to vote in person in all general, local and national elections.
There are currently more than 20 acceptable forms of ID, external, including passports, driving licences, bus passes and Armed Forces Veteran Cards.
Anyone without valid ID can apply for a free document called a Voter Authority Certificate, external.
However, some 4% of people who did not vote in the 2024 general election said it was because of voter ID rules, according to the Electoral Commission, which monitors UK elections.
The rules are different in Northern Ireland, external where voters have had to show photo ID since 2003.
How could voters be automatically registered?
The Electoral Commission estimates that about seven million people are incorrectly registered or missing from the electoral register. This means they cannot vote.
It says private renters and young people are disproportionately affected.
The government wants to create an automated voter registration scheme over the coming years. It says there will be safeguards so that people are aware of their registration status and can opt-out.
Voters will have to opt-in to be included in the open electoral register, which is publicly-available. Nobody under 16 will appear on the open register.
A 2023 Electoral Commision report suggested automated registration could involve organisations like the Passport Office providing Electoral Registration Officers with the names and addresses of people eligible to vote.
At present, eligible adults in the UK need to register in order to vote. This can be done online, external, or using a paper form.
How could postal votes be affected?
The government wants to change the deadline to apply for a postal vote.
It would be moved from 11 to 14 working days before polling day.
This should make it more likely that people get their ballot in good time.
What are the plans for political donations?
Rules around party donations will also be tightened. The goverment says this will help tackle foreign interference in UK elections.
Companies would need sufficient income in the UK or Ireland to be able to donate.
Parties would have to assess the status of potential donors before accepting money.
The Electoral Commission would be able to hand out fines of up to £500,000 to those who breach the rules.
What's been the reaction to the proposals?
The National Union of Students welcomed the decision to reduce the voting age as a "landmark moment for democracy".
The Lib Dems also backed the decision to let 16-and 17-year-olds vote, but called on the government to do more to tackle foreign interference in elections.
The Conservatives said the age policy was "hopelessly confused", pointing out that 16-year-olds cannot "marry, go to war, or even stand in elections".
It also criticised the timing of the announcement. The imminent summer break means Parliament will not be able to scrutinise the proposals until September.
Reform said 16 and 17-year-olds should not be able to vote in elections where they could not take part as candidates.
When is the next general election?
The latest a Parliament can be dissolved for a general election is on the fifth anniversary of the day it first met.
However, 25 working days are then allowed to prepare for the election.
The current Parliament began on 9 July, which means the next general election must be held by August 2029.
However, the prime minister can call an election at a time of their choosing, within the five-year period, subject to the King's formal approval.