By Adam Peaker
16 and 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote in the next general election as part of electoral reforms, says British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Automated voter registration, greater flexibility with IDs, postal voting tweaks, and political donation rule changes are also among the announced changes.
An extra 1.5 million Britons added to the electorate
By the next general election, at any point before August 2029, an extra 1.5 million Britons aged 16 and 17 will be allowed to vote.
Talking to ITV news, the incumbent Labour Party leader said 16 and 17-year-olds are “old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so pay in.”
“And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go.”
In Wales and Scotland, the electorate for their devolved and local governments already included those 16 and above.
The new rule will bring Northern Ireland and England in line.
The age to stand for election as a Member of Parliament (MP) will remain at 18 across the UK, however.
The last major change to voting eligibility was in 1969 when the age was lowered from 21 to 18.
READ MORE: ASEAN foreign ministers convene
An easy win for left-leaning parties?
Whilst the Green Party expressed their support, and the Liberal Democrats called it a “no-brainer,” the Conservative Party were against the move.
Reform UK, Britain’s right-wing populist party, currently surging in the polls, also announced its disapproval of the change, despite an uptick in popularity amongst younger men against the wider left-leaning trend amongst young voters.
According to a recent YouGov poll, current voting intentions among 18- to 24-year-olds show Labour winning with 28% of the vote, followed by the Greens and Liberal Democrats at 26% and 20%, respectively. The Conservatives and Reform UK both trail, with support between 8% and 9%.
It remains to be seen, however, whether 16 and 17-year-olds will replicate these trends in a win for the current Labour government during the next general election, or whether this new cohort will become an interesting political force.
Making it easier to vote
In addition to lowering the voting age, the government also announced several tweaks to make it easier for people to vote.
Whilst the details are not yet known, the government says it intends to automate the voting registration system.
The Electoral Commission estimates seven million would-be eligible voters are not currently or even wrongly registered, disproportionately affecting younger people.
An automated system would, in theory, bring all these people into the system and allow them to vote more easily on polling day.
Additionally, the government has said it wants to expand acceptable voter ID to include UK-issued banking cards and digital IDs.
The requirement to provide ID when voting was introduced under the last Conservative government, leaving many without a passport or driving licence being turned away.
Although a free voter ID was introduced, uptake remains low. It is hoped the new ID changes will encourage higher turnout.
Postal voting will also see one small tweak in response to an increase in usage.
The cut-off point to register for a postal vote will be increased from 11 to 14 days before an election.
According to the government, this is to ensure full eligibility in time for polling day.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Technology news: Philippines to trial drone deliveries in urban logistics study
Combating foreign interference
Donations from unincorporated associations and shell companies will come under greater scrutiny in an effort to combat foreign interference and ensure parties know where, or rather who, their donations are coming from.
The government says it wants to foster a “know your donor” culture amongst political parties.
Higher fines for breaking donation rules and criminal offences for false or misleading declarations also form part of the plans.
“We are taking action to close loopholes and strengthen donation rules, so the public can have confidence in the electoral process,” says Rushanara Ali, the minister for democracy.
The details of all of these changes are still to be fleshed out, and their true impact on the next election may only be known once all the votes are counted.
READ NEXT: UK-based company launches AI translation service
Hyacinth Estrada 
Ian Trinidad