UK to lower voting age to 16 in major electoral reform

(Reuters): Britain moved on Thursday to lower the voting age by two years to 16 in all UK elections, a major overhaul of the country's democratic system that immediately split opinion over whether they should or would cast ballots.

The proposed changes were designed to boost participation and trust in the electoral system, which suffered its lowest turnout at the last national election in 2024 since 2001.

It would also align voting rights across Britain, where younger voters can already participate in elections to devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, but under 18s are barred from voting in elections to the British parliament.

"They're old enough to go out to work, they're old enough to pay taxes," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told ITV News. "If you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go."