Voting age under scrutiny
The Electoral Commission today launched a consultation on whether the minimum age for taking part in elections should be changed.
At present, voters have to be at least 18, and candidates standing for seats must be 21.
“The right to vote is one of the most important you can have in a democratic country,” said spokesperson Glynis Mathias.
And she continued: “The Commission starts this review with a completely open mind on these issues and we do want to hear from as many people as possible, especially young people themselves.”
The idea of changing the age limit is partly in reaction to the poor turnout in recent elections – particularly among younger people.
The Commission has become increasingly concerned about voter apathy, with estimates that just 39% of 18 to 24-year-olds cast their ballots at the 2001 general election.
Conversely, a recent survey has shown that a similar proportion of 15 to17-year-olds reported being either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ interested in politics.
However, the politicians are themselves split on the issue, with the Liberal Democrats are thought to favour a lowering of the voting and candidacy age limits to 16, while the Tories are against such a change.
Conservative spokesperson for constitutional affairs Bill Cash commented: “Lowering the voting age does nothing to address the underlying problems of political disillusionment among young people, and will just lead to young people abstaining from an even earlier age.”
“Clearly, a line must be drawn to indicate when a young person becomes an adult, and the present age of 18 is widely accepted across society as signifying a major turning point in the personal development and maturity of individuals.”
