Britain’s Electoral System Gets a Youth Infusion as Voting Age Falls to 16

The UK is set to lower its voting age from 18 to 16 in what will be the biggest expansion of voting rights in decades, bringing around 1.6 million people—about 3% of the population—into the electorate. The last time there was such a significant shift in the electorate was in 1969, when the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18, and in 1928, when all women were granted the right to vote. The UK will now join a small number of countries—Austria, Argentina, Malta, and Brazil—that permit voting at 16. Brazil led the way in 1988 by lowering its voting age to 16, a move later mirrored by Austria, Argentina, and Malta in the 2000s.

With 1.6 million 16- and 17-year-olds joining the UK electorate, both the outcome of the next election and future policy priorities could be reshaped.