В Великобритании снижают возраст избирателя до 16 лет

UK LOWERS VOTING AGE TO 16, EMPOWERING TEENS IN GENERAL ELECTIONS! In a landmark move, the United Kingdom has announced it will lower the national voting age to 16, granting millions of teenagers the right to participate in all future elections — including general elections. The reform, unveiled as part of a new Elections Bill, is set to take effect before the next general election, which is legally due by 2029 but could be called earlier. This will be the most significant expansion of the UK electorate since 1969, when the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18. With this change, around 1.5 million 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK will be newly enfranchised. The move also brings UK-wide elections in line with devolved practices already in place in Scotland and Wales, where young people aged 16 and over can already vote in local and parliamentary elections. Supporters of the bill argue it’s a democratic step forward that reflects the maturity and political awareness of younger citizens, especially on issues like climate change, education reform, and digital rights. Critics, however, caution against politicizing the youth vote and question the readiness of 16-year-olds to make informed electoral choices. Despite this, the proposal is expected to gain significant traction in Parliament, with cross-party backing growing. The UK now joins a handful of nations—including Austria, Brazil, and Argentina—that allow voting in national elections at 16. If passed into law, the change will transform future political engagement in Britain, as Gen Z and Gen Alpha voters gain a direct voice in shaping the country’s leadership and policies earlier than ever before. Source: UK Cabinet Office, Electoral Commission UK, BBC News.