Overview

This bill proposes lowering the voting age in the United Kingdom from 18 to 16 years old. This change would apply to all elections (parliamentary and local) and referendums across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Description

The core of the bill amends existing legislation to change the definition of "voting age." Specifically:

• Representation of the People Act 1983: The bill alters sections 1(1)(d) and 2(1)(d), replacing "18" with "16" as the minimum age for parliamentary and local government elections, respectively.
• Representation of the People Act 1985: Section 1(5), concerning overseas electors, will also be amended to lower the voting age to 16.
• Future Referendums: Any future legislation creating a referendum will automatically include 16-year-olds as eligible voters unless explicitly stated otherwise.

The bill is scheduled to come into effect on January 1st, 2014.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify any changes to government spending. The costs associated with updating electoral registers and voter information materials are likely to be minimal.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects:

• 16 and 17-year-olds: They would gain the right to vote in all elections and referendums.
• Political parties: They would need to adapt their campaigning strategies to engage with a younger electorate.
• Electoral bodies: They would be responsible for implementing the changes to electoral registration and voting procedures.

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