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Young people in Wales back votes at 16

1 min read Youth Work
More than half of young people in Wales want the voting age lowered to 16, according to a consultation carried out by the National Assembly for Wales.

Launched in November last year by assembly member and presiding officer Dame Rosemary Butler, the #Vote16Wales consultation received more than 10,000 responses from young people aged between 11 and 25 years old.
 
It found more than half of respondents (53 per cent) want the voting age lowered to 16, while 29 per cent said they did not want the age lowered, and 18 per cent said they were unsure.
 
Meanwhile 58 per cent said they would vote at an election tomorrow if they were eligible, while 79 per cent said they think it is important for young people to learn about politics.
 
Butler said: “This is the biggest ever response we’ve had to an assembly consultation and therefore offers an authoritative analysis on the views of young people on this issue.
 
“This report is a unique contribution to the debate about lowering the voting age.
 
“Whilst politicians at Westminster and here in the Senedd have debated the issue at length, this gives us crucial insight to the views of people directly affected by a potential change in the law.”
 
The survey also found that 77 per cent of respondents believe that school or college is the best place to learn about politics and the voting system.

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