Tag: Votes at 16
The Scottish independence referendum raises questions about the suitability of using referendums as a ‘test bed’ for a lowered voting age
Educating 16 and 17-year-olds about voting and citizenship takes time, says Andrew Mycock, and the Scottish referendum was a divisive introduction to politics for some of them. Nor is it mere coincidence that 18 is the voting age in 27 of the 28 EU member states. Similar PostsOur student generation has been disenfranchisedVotes at 16: […]
Enfranchising 16 and 17 year olds won’t create a new politics, but a more inclusive version of politics as usual
We need an intelligent debate on whether 16- and 17-year-olds should vote in the EU referendum, says Richard Berry – not least because the notion that different age groups have very different policy priorities is misguided, at best. Similar PostsThe purdah controversy – setting the rules of the referendum gameSwitching off E4 on election day is a bold […]
Votes at 16 are unlikely to change the EU referendum outcome, but could have a positive impact in the long run
The House of Lords has amended the EU Referendum Bill to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum. The issue will now return to the Commons, but what difference would such an extension to the franchise make? Alan Renwick and Barney McCay examine the evidence. Similar Posts16 things you need to know […]
The Scottish independence referendum shows that young people can be mobilized politically given the right circumstances
16 and 17 year olds were entitled to vote for the first time in any election held in the UK in the Scottish independence referendum. Advocates of the reform argued that it would help to engage younger people in the political process, setting the stage for greater engagement in democracy over future election cycles, while […]
Granting 16 and 17 years olds the right to vote is not a panacea for youth engagement in politics, but it is necessary for democracy
The voting age for UK general elections is 18, meaning that 16 and 17 year olds aren’t eligible to vote, despite being adults for the majority of a five year parliament. Research has shown that it would be an effective tool in narrowing the UK’s turnout gap between old and young – the widest in […]
The Scottish Parliament is leading the way on the issue of lowering the voting age to 16
The voting age for UK elections – with the exception of the Scottish Independence referendum – is fixed at 18, however many campaigners and experts feel that the time has come to lower it to 16, in order to enfranchise young people while they live in settled communities, and to prevent a situation in which […]
NHS Foundation Trusts have been a source of democratic experimentation for the past decade
Campaigners are promoting a wide range of reforms for the UK’s democratic system, including changing the electoral system, lowering the voting age or allowing people to vote online. While many look overseas for examples of how these innovations work in practice, Richard Berry explains in this post that each has already been introduced at NHS Foundation Trust elections. […]
The independence referendum gave plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Scotland’s democratic future
The Scottish independence referendum was the first wide-scale election in the UK to allow 16 and 17 year olds the vote, with turnout consistent with other groups. One of those first-time voters in the youngest age bracket, Duncan McEwan, thinks that the referendum gives reasons to be optimistic about Scotland’s democratic future, with the younger, largely pro-independence generation […]
Extending the franchise in Scotland to 16 year olds was progress which should be capitalised on, not rolled back
The Scottish referendum was not only historic for its constitutional implications, it was also the first time in the UK that 16 and 17 year olds were allowed to vote. But what are the reasons for including younger people in the electorate, and what might the consequences be for their future participation? Emily Rainsford analyses the potential […]
There is much that can be learned from Scotland’s decision to lower the voting age for the Independence referendum
The Electoral Commission this week began a publicity drive to ensure that people register to vote in the referendum. It has launched a dedicated website and is working with Facebook to target potential younger voters including 16 and 17 year olds who will be able to vote for the first time. Andy Mycock looks at the […]
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