Today, the UK government announced its plans to lower the voting age to 16 in time for the next general election.

It also pledged other changes to the electoral system, such as expanding forms of voter ID, moving towards automatic voter registration, and tightening rules on political donations to protect against foreign interference - you can read about these proposals in our previous post.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said young people who "pay in" to the system should have the opportunity to say what they want their money spent on.

Conservative MP Paul Holmes hit back at the government's announcement, arguing that there would be no opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny until September due to the recess - describing the proposal as "hopelessly confused".

Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, said he didn't support lowering the voting age to 16 "even though we get lots of votes".

And Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney said changing the minimum voting age to 16 was a "no-brainer".

Throughout the day, we've heard reactions from young people to the announcement, with some saying it is a "good opportunity for us to have more of a say in our future", and others arguing the move will "backfire".

But it could be some time before these proposals become law, as they will need to be scrutinised in Parliament first.

We're ending our live coverage, but you can follow our news story to stay up-to-date with developments.

How could votes at 16 affect party leader seats?published at 17:21 British Summer Time 17 July

17:21 BST 17 July

By Daniel Wainwright and Aidan McNamee, Data journalists

For some party leaders, the changes to the vote means they may need to win favour among the new younger voters to hold their seats. For others, it’s less of an issue.

Even if all the likely new young voters in Holborn and St Pancras voted the same way, it would not be enough to affect the Prime Minister’s chances of re-election alone. Sir Keir Starmer holds the seat by 11,572 votes but there will be about 1,800 potential new voters created by this change next time around.

It’s also unlikely to make a difference on its own to Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, with a majority of 17,235 in Kingston and Surbiton, but only about 2,800 young people likely to reach the new voting age by the next election.

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage won in Clacton by 8,405 votes, where there will be about 2,000 new young voters.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch may need to appeal to the youngest voters in her seat, however. She holds North West Essex with a majority of 2,610, but there were slightly more young people likely to turn 16 or 17 living there by the next election.

We can now bring you some fresh analysis from pollster Luke Tryl, who says the change to voters' age might not have an outsized impact on future general elections.

"What we’ve been looking at is 16 and 17-year-olds making up around 2% of the electorate," the director of More in Common tells BBC Political Editor Chris Mason.

"So it’s not a huge amount and we know that younger people are slightly less likely to vote than older generations."

"But, then again, we are in an era where small shares of the vote can deliver you lots of seats and multi-party politics," he adds.

As we've been reporting, the government announced today its plans to lower voting age in the UK to 16 in time for the next general election.

The pledge is part of a raft of measures being introduced through a new Elections Bill.

As this involves a change in the law, all proposals will need to be scrutinised in Parliament first.

Let's take another quick look at what the government is seeking to introduce:

• Lowering the voting age: Around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote at the next general election
• Expansion of acceptable IDs: UK-issued bank cards will be accepted as voter ID in Great Britain, providing the bank card displays the elector’s name
• Moving towards automatic voter registration: The government proposes creating an automated voter registration system to avoid voters registering incorrectly or not being on the system
• Changes to party donations: To tackle foreign interference, the government says it plans to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over £500 from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies

• Voting by post: The government is proposing a change to the deadline to apply for a postal vote, from 11 to 14 working days before a poll to get an "improved likelihood" of people getting their ballot in good time

Marita Moloney
Live editor

Sir John Curtice believes the Green Party looks to gain the most from the voting age being lowered to 16 across the UK by the next general election.

The Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University tells the BBC that young people are more likely to vote for Labour, the Green Party or the SNP, and much less likely to vote for the Conservative Party or Reform UK.

The changes "maybe come too late for Labour to benefit from", he says. The Greens will look most attractive to this new cohort of voters, he adds, as young people and Green voters are both "more socially liberal".

Curtice believes there will be "zero" boost for Reform.

As for the issues 16 and 17-year-olds will care most about when heading to the poll booth, he says housing, university finance and apprenticeships will be top of the list.

They care more about gender recognition than immigration, and would favour rejoining the EU, Curtice adds.

We've just heard from Alex Nurton, 17, from the Youth Parliament Organisation (YPO) which has been campaigning in favour of lowering voters' age for more than two decades.

Nurton tells the BBC News channel he's "overwhelmed with the news", saying the decision "does promote a healthy democracy" - noting the YPO has also been advocating for improved political literacy in schools.

He also dismisses opponents to the decision who point to several milestones that require a young adult to be at least 18 to be legal as an argument against the proposed reform.

"We’re not just adults-in-waiting, we’re active members of society," Nurton says. "For everything you say we can’t do, there’s an argument for things that we can do."

Image source, PA Media

WIth powers devolved to different nations across the UK, let's take a look at what the changes to voting rules might mean for young people in each country.

Today's proposed change brings England's voting age in line with local council and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.

At the moment, 16 and 17-year-olds are able to vote in devolved elections in Scotland and Wales - that's for local councils and the devolved parliaments.

But, these young people haven't been able to vote in general elections - to decide who runs the country.

In England and Northern Ireland, meanwhile, you must be 18 to vote in local council elections, and the report says the government aims to "align the rules and processes" in these countries with Scotland and Wales.

In a nutshell, today's proposals mean that all 16 and 17-year-olds will now be able to vote in the next general election.

And, it's possible that the minimum age to vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland will be lowered to 16, too.

Image source, PA Media

Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza says "lowering the voting age to 16 sends the message that their voices and ideas do matter," in response to today's proposals.

Running an independent organisation with a duty to protect the rights of children in England, de Souza says that she is often told by young people that they feel like they aren't being heard.

"In my Big Ambition survey just 22% of children told me they think politicians listen to them – earlier this year that number had dropped to 16%," she says in a statement.

Now, she suggests, young people need to be given the "tools" to help be part of decisions about their futures.

"That means giving children brilliant lessons in citizenship and democracy, allowing them to learn through discussion and debate," she explains.

Image source, Getty Images

When 16 and 17-year-olds - as well as those a lot older - arrive at the ballot box at the next general election, they'll have a big choice to make.

Luckily, our colleagues at BBC Bitesize have come up with three top tips to help make sure you're in the right frame of mind to take the best decision.

1 - Save your brain's bandwidth

This means removing the small choices in your life so that your brain is able to focus on the bigger ones.

GP Dr Radha Modgil explains: "Scientists have learned that whether it’s a decision about what pair of socks to put on, or which house to buy, our brains will use the same amount of energy on each choice."

2 - Fuel up

It's important to keep your brain's fuel at optimum levels too.

"If you’re very hungry, neurotransmitters can’t be produced, which results in communication between the brain’s 86 billion neurons breaking down," Dr Modgil says.

This means cutting down on treats like biscuits, to make room for slow-releasing carb breakfasts like porridge, as well as plenty of water.

3 - Ask a friend

People often opt for the safest option rather than one which could have a positive impact, because they worry about what they will lose through a big life change.

So, to counter safer choices, Dr Modgil has this advice - speak to a friend who isn’t afraid to tell you what they really think.

Image source, Aqdas Chowdhury

One 17-year-old opposed to the change in voting age is Aqdas Chowdhury.

He says there are major information gaps in the age range, and teenagers aren't responsible.

Chowdhury argues that because many use social media to get news, they "form flawed beliefs... hence we cannot trust young people to vote on affairs where knowing the facts is important, if they disregard them".

He also says it's easy for young people's beliefs to be shaped by their parents, so if they vote it "weakens democracy, as young people aren't able to express their true opinions when voting".

"Instead of focusing on lowering the voting age, the government should do more to combat misinformation online, offer political education to this age range and reduce political apathy by strengthening youth parliaments and encouraging them to focus on issues involving everyone not just young people," he adds.

Image source, Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

The chair of the Local Government Association, which represents councils, is welcoming the government's changes to the voting process - including expanding forms of ID and moving towards automatic voter registration.

Councillor and chair Louise Gittins says it's "encouraging to see efforts both to improve registration rates and lower the barriers to voting that some people experience".

Going forward, Gittins says it's vital the government works with councils "to ensure that the introduction of significant changes is fair, secure and properly resourced".

She adds that councils need more support to combat the impacts of abuse and intimidation on candidates, "including more consistent policing and a review of harassment offences against candidates and elected members”.

Image source, Reuters

Alongside proposals to lower the minimum voting age and extend the forms of ID that can be used to vote, the government has also proposed to introduce an automatic voting register.

At the moment eligible adults in the UK need to register in order to vote, which can be done online or using a paper form.

But, the Electoral Commission estimates around seven million people are incorrectly registered or missing from the register - which means they cannot vote.

The government now says it will create an automated voter registration scheme to tackle this.

It's unclear exactly what shape this might take, but it says there will be safeguards so that people are aware of their registration status and can opt-out if they wish.

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.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, defending the voting changes, tells the BBC that she has "felt quite passionate about this for a long time", regarding changing the voting age.

She adds: "I was a mum at 16. I mean you can go to work, you can pay your taxes, and I think that people should have a vote at 16. I think we should engage young people in the democratic process and that they should be able to do that."

Rayner says that as politicians, "we go to schools and some of the questions are harder than the questions you ask me quite frankly, and they're very switched on".

"I think actually this is about engaging young people in what's going to happen in their future.

"They're paying their taxes and what we're doing impacts on them and impacts on their future."

Asked about the potential for this to backfire, if votes don't land in their favour, Rayner says it's not "about trying to rig votes for a particular party, this is about democracy".

The Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society says today's strategy paper shows "vital steps to ensure barriers are removed to voting".

Darren Hughes says: “Bringing in votes at 16 will end the absurd and unfair situation where teenagers can already vote in Wales and Scotland but not in England and Northern Ireland purely by dint of where they live.

“Voting at 16 will also help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education."

Hughes welcomes the government's plans to expand types of accepted ID voters can use on polling day and also says he is encouraged to see rules being tightened up on political donations.

Wales' first experience of votes at 16 has been described as a 'false start'published at 15:33 British Summer Time 17 July

15:33 BST 17 July

Cemlyn Davies
Political correspondent, BBC Wales

Image source, Getty Images

Young people aged 16 and 17 were able to take part in Senedd elections for the first time in 2021.

The move gave an extra 70,000 teenagers across Wales the right to vote.

However, less than half that number actually took the step of registering for a vote.

The overall turnout for the 2021 election was 46.6% - up from 45.4% in 2016.

But that was a smaller rise than the 4% jump between 2011 and 2016 when voters still had to be 18 or over.

It should be pointed out that the 2021 election came at a time of real disruption for teenagers' education because of the pandemic, and so many 16 and 17 year-olds weren't introduced to the democratic system at school in the way that had been hoped.

As a result, Wales' first experience of votes at 16 has been described as a "false start".

Will things be different at next year's Senedd election?

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Image source, EPA

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s team has admitted her Times article today about lowering the voting age mistakenly said 16-year-olds in England could legally get married.

The BBC has been told Rayner's article contained a drafting error that has been rectified and did not appear in print.

An earlier version of the online article said: "By law, they can get married and serve our country in the armed forces - but, unlike their peers in Scotland and Wales, 16-year-olds in England and Northern Ireland can’t vote. Why not?"

The reference to marriage was taken out in an updated version.

The law was changed to increase the legal age of marriage to 18 in England and Wales in 2023. As our earlier post explained, 16-year-olds can still get married in Northern Ireland (with parental consent) and Scotland.

Kirsty Grant
BBC News social media team journalist

The news about lowering the voting age to 16 has generated a lot of discussion on our BBC News TikTok account.

Plenty of under-18s have weighed in - of course, it's not representative of all young people, but the overwhelming sentiment is one of disapproval and scepticism.

One of our followers said: “As a 16-year-old, this is awful.” Another predicted “this is going to backfire hilariously”.

Reform UK is mentioned repeatedly, with many young people predicting a huge surge in votes for the party.

“Reform UK has just won the next general election,” one user put it simply.

• Head to @BBCNews on TikTok to hear from more young people in response to the announcement.

Image source, Jo Williamson

Jo Williamson, 28, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne has been in touch with us and recalls: "I was 17 in 2014 and able to vote in the Scottish independence referendum, and I have to say, it felt freeing to have a say in the future of my country.

"Looking back 10 years later, it’s refreshing to remember our common room being full of discussions of weekend party plans and debates about the upcoming vote.

"In fact, I think it’s the most politically engaged I’ve ever been ahead of an election. I’m fully in favour of giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote.

"Of course, some young people might not engage or do much research, but the same is true for any age group. If anything, giving a voice to the generation who’ll live longest with the consequences of government decisions just makes sense.”

Image source, Reuters

"I'm really happy about it because I've always been kind of frustrated just watching politics and not being able to do anything," 16-year-old Mathew Caronno tells Reuters.

He says lots of his peers feel the same, and it would be "really amazing" to vote as so many policies affect younger people.

Isabelle Laine-Euden, 17, is also pleased. She says it's "really annoying watching older people vote... it's not going to affect them".

However, she worries that people will end up voting for what their parents say, because they're surrounded by these opinions.

Also worried is Matilda Behrendt, 17. She is concerned that people will fall down "pipelines into alt right... and are very easily convinced and persuaded", with social media making the risks worse.

Image source, Reuters

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

Downing Street says it plans to extend the vote to 16-year-olds because voting is "critical to engaging young people" in democracy, and rejects the idea it is making the change hoping it will benefit from their votes.

"I absolutely reject those claims. This government was elected on that specific manifesto commitment to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections, and that's what we're doing," a Downing Street spokesperson tells reporters at the daily Downing Street press briefing.

"We are determined to restore trust in democracy, and votes at 16 is critical to engaging young people. It will empower them to participate in society and effect real change, locally and nationally," the spokesperson adds.

The spokesperson says changes to rules governing political donations were not aimed at limiting funds flowing to any particular party. "It's not about specific individuals or parties", the spokesperson says.

"The current status quo means that a new company registered today, owned by anyone and funded from anywhere, can donate and have influence in UK politics, and that's why these new measures are coming in that leaves our democracy vulnerable and undermines trust in our politics."