Government to lower voting age to 16 for all UK elections - with 'intimidatory' polling station practices ended in NI
Sixteen year olds across the UK will be granted the vote as part of wider plans set out by the government to reform the electoral system – with calls for changes to be implemented before the next Stormont elections.
Neither the DUP nor Ulster Unionists have entirely opposed the plans – but want it to accompany other electoral measures. Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance have all called for swift action to make sure they are in place by the 2027 Assembly poll.
However, a government spokesperson said the new legislation is not expected to be in place before the next scheduled Stormont vote.
The UK government – which retains control of voting rules for Stormont and local councils in Northern Ireland – and has set out detailed plans for changes to the system here, including removing the “intimidatory” practices which allow political parties to take records of who has voted.
National Insurance Cards will be accepted as voter ID to help ensure 16 and 17 year olds can take part – and the government will also work with the Department of Education here on an “education and engagement” programme – with young people able to register from age 14.
Voter verification checks will also be relaxed in the province, with the requirement for additional supporting evidence to be removed, despite being set out in law. Changes will also be made to ensure that eligible voters are not “removed from the register unnecessarily”.
There will also be legislation to ensure that the Veterans Cards will be accepted for the first time in NI elections, having previously only been used in Great Britain.
The practice of polling clerks shouting out voter names and addresses for political parties to keep a record of who has voted will also end – with the government calling it “outdated” and “intimidatory”.
The government also says that the demand for Electoral ID cards as identification for purposes other than elections is putting undue demand on the system, so the day of birth will be removed to “limit the demand for use as a more general proof of ID”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says it is important that 16 and 17 year olds get a chance to have their say on how money the pay in tax is spent.
DUP MLA Brian Kingston said the Prime Minister’s rationale for this move is essentially a ‘no taxation without representation’ argument.
“It is high time the Government applied the same logic to Northern Ireland, where taxpayers here have no say on laws imposed by the European Union.
“Over the last decade Parliament has continually revised age restrictions upward from 16 to 18 on a range of issues. It is clear Labour are intent on honouring their manifesto commitment, however it is not clear how the Government can justifiably set the voting age at 16 rather than the current age threshold.
“Increased participation in the democratic process is a good thing but must be advanced as part of a wider electoral reform package that includes closing loop holes such as foreign donations and interference.”
The UUP’s Robbie Butler said his party supports votes at 16, “providing the right changes are implemented to the education curriculum to include political education on how the voting system in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom works”.
He added: “When we give young people a voice early, not only do we inspire hope, we grow a culture of lifelong engagement, where voting feels like a right that matters because it always has”.