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Consultation finds support for lowering voting age

1 min read Youth Work
Around two-thirds of youth groups and members of the public that responded to a government consultation into electoral rights want to see the voting age lowered to 16.

Of the 509 responses to the Youth Citizenship Commission's consultation on voting rights 66 per cent said the age limit should be dropped to 16 for all UK elections. Respondents included charities, youth groups, electoral organisations and young people,

Campaign group Votes at 16 Coalition is optimistic that these latest findings will sway the commission into recommending to the government that the voting age is lowered.

Coalition spokesperson Jonathan Pyke said: "We await the commissions final recommendations on voting rights with great interest. These interim findings show the support is there and give us hope."

Earlier this year a survey by volunteering charity V found that 51 per cent of young people wanted the voting age to stay at 18, saying that 16- and 17-year-olds were not informed enough to vote.

Pyke added: "When young people get to 18 some can change their opinion and think the age limit should remain the same, but those who are younger do not think that way."

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