Overview

This bill proposes lowering the voting age in the United Kingdom from 18 to 16 for all elections and referendums. If passed, all citizens aged 16 and over would gain the right to vote.

Description

The Voting Age (Comprehensive Reduction) Bill aims to amend existing legislation to reduce the voting age across the UK. Specifically:

• Parliamentary Elections: The Representation of the People Act 1983 will be changed to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 for parliamentary elections.
• Local Government Elections: The Representation of the People Act 1983 will also be amended to reduce the voting age for local elections to 16.
• Overseas Electors: The Representation of the People Act 1985 will be altered to grant the right to vote to overseas electors aged 16 and over.
• Referendums: The bill implicitly extends the franchise to 16-year-olds for referendums, although this isn't explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Implementation: The changes would come into effect on January 1st, 2014 (according to the original proposed date in the bill).
• Geographic Scope: The bill applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Government Spending

The bill's impact on government spending is not explicitly detailed. The cost would likely involve updating voter registration systems and potentially public information campaigns. No figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

The bill would primarily affect:

• 16 and 17-year-olds: They would gain the right to vote in all elections and referendums.
• Political Parties: Parties would need to adapt their campaigning strategies to engage a wider electorate.
• Electoral Commission: The commission would be responsible for implementing the changes, potentially requiring additional resources.

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