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UK Moves Towards Lowering Voting Age to 16 and Enhancing Electoral Integrity
The British government announced on Thursday, July 17, a comprehensive electoral reform plan aimed at lowering the voting age to 16 in all elections across the United Kingdom. This initiative seeks to expand democratic participation among young people while standardizing electoral laws with those in Scotland and Wales.
The government has described this measure as “democratic fairness,” allowing young individuals engaged in work or the military to fully participate in the political process. It also includes expanding the list of accepted identification documents for voting, now incorporating bank cards and veteran cards to facilitate access to the polls.
As part of efforts to enhance transparency and the integrity of the electoral process, the government plans to tighten laws regarding foreign interference in elections. This falls under the commitment made by the ruling Labour Party in its 2024 election manifesto to increase citizen engagement, particularly among the youth.
Additional measures accompanying the reform include the launch of a flexible and automatic voter registration system to simplify administrative processes and avoid duplication of information among various government entities.
Commenting on the reform, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stated, “The trust of citizens in our democracy has been damaged for a long time, and we want to remove barriers to participation and grant the right to vote to young people starting at age 16.”
The reform also aims to strengthen oversight of political party financing by closing loopholes that allow foreign funds to be received through shell companies, with penalties of up to £500,000 for offenders. Additionally, false declarations will be treated as criminal offenses.
The new measures require parties to verify the identity of donating companies and ensure their actual connection to the UK or Ireland, along with proof that these companies have generated local revenue.
