Representation of the People Bill (Second Reading): MPs have their first chance to debate the Government’s legislation to overhaul the conduct of elections. (House of Commons Library briefing)
This summary includes an extract from the Hansard Society’s excellent ‘Whats coming up in Parliament this week” Full News Letter here. Plus extracts from briefings by the House of Commons Library, the Electoral Commission and the Association of Electoral Administrators
Whilst the debate is scheduled for 3.30 pm – its likely to be delayed by a Government Statement on the recent global events in Iran.
“At Second Reading, MPs debate the overall purpose and general principles of the Bill rather than its detailed wording. The Bill’s key provisions include:
- voting age: Lowering the voting age to 16, thereby giving the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, with young people able to register in advance from the age of 14;
- automatic registration: providing a legal power to run pilots of various forms of automatic voter registration, enabling voters to be added to the electoral register without making an application”
“No amendments to the text of the Bill can be made at Second Reading. However, the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sir James Cleverly MP, has tabled a reasoned amendment to the Second Reading motion. If passed, this would block the Bill while putting reasons for opposing it on the record. The reasoned amendment invites MPs to decline to give the Bill a Second Reading because: ‘reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 is inconsistent with and contradictory to other aspects of the Government’s position on ages of majority and citizenship; automatic voter registration will lead to less accurate electoral registers and open the door to fraud; the Bill has been drafted without proper engagement with political parties…’
“If the Bill is given a Second Reading, MPs will immediately consider a programme motion setting out how it will proceed. The motion proposes sending the Bill to a Public Bill Committee, which would be required to complete its scrutiny work by 23 April 2026. In addition, the Secretary of State, Steve Reed MP, has tabled a carry-over motion. This would allow the Bill to continue into the next parliamentary Session if it has not completed its passage in the current one, which is expected to conclude in May. Neither motion is debatable.”
Votes at 16 HoC Library
“Part 1 of the bill would make the necessary changes to electoral law to lower the voting age for reserved elections from 18 to 16. This includes powers to make regulations to facilitate registration of newly enfranchised young people. This policy was a manifesto commitment by the Labour Party. Approximately 1.7 million young people would become eligible to vote in UK Parliament elections. The change would also apply to local elections in England and to elections in Northern Ireland. The Conservative Party and Reform UK oppose the change. Most other parties in the House of Commons favour lowering the voting age, with the Liberal Democrats having a policy to reduce the voting age since 2001. Public opinion is divided; polling shows more people oppose than support votes at 16, although support is stronger among younger age groups”
Electoral Commission
Comment “While full automatic voter registration may take longer to deliver, significant progress on automated registration should be made before the next general election to encourage greater participation and support newly enfranchised 16 and 17 year olds. We believe there is time to do so before the next general election, as successful automatic registration pilots in Wales have shown”.
Briefing “Part 1 of the Bill extends the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds for elections to the UK
Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly and to local elections in England and Northern
Ireland”.
- • Extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds will give around 1.7m additional
people the right to vote. It would align the voting age with devolved elections in
Scotland and Wales, where 16- and 17-year-olds already have the right to vote.
• Although the Commission doesn’t take a view on the principle of franchise changes,
which are significant constitutional questions for Parliament to consider, all those who
are eligible to vote in elections should be able to do so freely and without barriers.
Currently, 16- and 17-year-olds are the group least likely to be on the electoral
register.
• Our priority will be to ensure that all newly enfranchised voters know how to register
and exercise their right to vote, to have access to educational material through their
schools, colleges and communities, and to support the electoral community to deliver
franchise changes effectively.
• Research across several countries and states that have lowered their voting ages
shows that when enfranchised, 16 and 17-year-olds tend to vote in greater numbers
than those enfranchised at 18. 16 and 17-year-olds can already vote in Scottish
Parliament elections, Senedd elections, and local elections in Scotland and Wales.
• Extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds increases the importance of equipping
young people with the confidence to participate, so that they can continue to do so into
the future. Our research shows that most young people support learning more about
politics and elections:
– 72% of young people think children and young people should learn more
about politics in school/college
– 53% of young people want to learn more about what difference their vote
makes
• We will build on our democratic education work to improve young people’s
understanding of electoral systems, expanding our work to provide teachers and
students with resources and support to deliver democratic education.
Key considerations
• As recommended by the Curriculum and Assessment review, the curriculum should
be changed to help prepare young people to cast their vote confidently. All children
should have the opportunity to participate in democratic education throughout their
time in school.
• Changes to the voting age also need to be implemented in a way which carefully
manages the pressures on election teams.
• Implementing automated or automatic registration and including forms of voter ID
more likely to be held by younger voters would help ensure young people are
registered and able to vote once enfranchised.
Further reading
• Our democratic education resources for schools and young people
• Young people’s views on politics and voting
• Our response to the Department for Education’s curriculum review”
Association of Electoral Administrators on Votes at 16
“16 and 17-year-olds across the UK will be given the right to vote in all
elections. They can currently only vote in Scotland and Wales at local elections,
Scottish Parliamentary and Senedd Cymru elections.
- There are consequential changes to bring the new age of attainment in line with
other electoral rules. For example, the age of a companion who can accompany a
voter with disabilities will become 16.
– Young people will be able to apply to register to vote from 14.
– Electoral Registration Officers will generally not supply/publish/disclose details of
any person under the age of 16.
– 14 and 15-year-olds will not appear on the edited/open electoral
register.
– In Scotland and Wales, electors under 18 who apply to register to vote
in devolved polls will be automatically added to the UK Parliamentary
register. They will not need to make a further application as long as the Electoral
Registration Officer believes they are eligible
– As is the case in Scotland and Wales, young people looked after by a local
authority will be able to register to vote using a ‘Declaration of Local
Connection’ in the local authority area responsible for their care. For UK
Government, Scottish Parliamentary, and local elections in England or Scotland,
they are eligible until they are 21; for Senedd Cymru and local elections in Wales
they must be under 18.
– Local authorities must take the steps they consider necessary to promote
awareness and help looked after children register to vote.
– In England, children of service voters living with their parents or guardians will be
entitled to register as service voters until their 19 birthday. This provision
already exists in Scotland and Wales but only until their 18 birthday.”
ENDS