The United Kingdom is preparing to lower the national voting age to just 16 years old ahead of the next general elections.
Government offices announced the initiative on Thursday in an effort to expand the right to vote and “strengthen the foundations of our society for the future.”
“This will mean young people, who already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military, will be given the right to vote on the issues that affect them,” the government said in an announcement, calling it “the biggest change to U.K. democracy in a generation.”
It’s the country’s first change in minimum voting age since 1969, when the cutoff was lowered from age 21 to age 18.
The decision is not a total surprise. The Labour Party promised to lower the voting age to include 16 and 17-year-olds in its 2024 manifesto.
Opponents assert that the decision is an obvious attempt to expand their own support base by offering suffrage to a demographic that consistently leans in their favor.
There is not much data on the voting intentions of 16- and 17-year-olds, but a survey published in January of this year found that 36% of voters between the ages of 18 and 25 favored the Labour Party.
Interestingly, just under 20% of the same age cohort expressed support for the alternative right-wing political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who published a statement celebrating how the change will “break down barriers to participation” in democracy, dismissed criticism of how the expanding electorate might affect election outcomes in an interview with the Guardian.
“You can’t turn around and say: I don’t like what democracy is going to give, so I’m not giving you democracy. That argument is, to me, a cul-de-sac,” Rayner said. “What we have to do is engage with people about the importance of democracy and the importance of them exercising their democracy, and our argument of why we’re the right people to do the job.”
Lowering the voting age is only one part of Labour’s multifaceted elections overhaul, which includes increased automation in voter registration processes and stricter penalties for harassing or intimidating candidates.
The U.K. will also be loosening voter ID regulations, allowing those seeking to cast a ballot to use bank cards from domestic institutions or digital credentials. Veteran cards will also be accepted.
The adoption of the new voting age will take some time as the government prepares to push a bill through the House of Commons and House of Lords. Labour holds a firm majority in the House of Commons, and the unelected upper house tends to take a hands-off approach to election laws.
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Labour took control of the British Parliament in last year’s general election, ending over 14 years of Conservative Party rule.
The government has until August 2029 before the next required general election.