Elections bill will bring in once-in-a-generation change to voting – but misses big opportunityToday sees the first reading of the Representation of the People Bill, the government’s landmark legislation reforming how elections work. This promises to make some fundamental reforms to the way we vote, as well as...Posted 12 Feb 2026
Why voting isn’t like drinking or smokingI’m pretty glad that 12-year-olds aren’t allowed to drive buses. We have age restrictions on many things for pretty good reasons in the UK, and preventing children from careering down the high street in a...Posted 19 Jan 2026
Electoral Commission Chair calls for deeper citizenship educationAt the Electoral Reform Society we have long called for the right to vote to be extended to 16 and 17 year olds. Far too many people don’t vote, and research has shown that 16...Posted 26 Aug 2025
We should extend the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, here’s whyThe Government was elected on a manifesto promise to “increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy by giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections.” We agree, and here’s...Posted 02 Apr 2025
When was the voting age reduced from 21 to 18 in the UK?The UK is no stranger to expanding the franchise. The age you have to be to cast a vote in elections has changed many times – each time allowing even more people to participate in...Posted 27 Nov 2024
The real winner from votes at 16 is democracyWith our Labour government’s commitment to extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds in their manifesto, many an argument has been levelled against the plan. Most arguments against measures that would improve our democracy are...Posted 27 Aug 2024
ERS in the Press – Coverage we’ve secured in the GE campaignYou might have noticed that there’s a general election approaching. Whilst the date of the election may have taken us all a little by surprise, the ERS communications team were ready to go and making...Posted 25 Jun 2024
Could this be the last general election that excludes 16 and 17 year olds?At the Electoral Reform Society, we have long been advocates of extending the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds in general elections. So, we were pleased to see that, when asked on the campaign...Posted 29 May 2024
Voters trusted themselves to vote at 16 – let’s expand the franchiseDo you think you should have been able to vote from 16? New research commissioned by The Body Shop and The British Youth Council has found that 64% of adults would have liked to have...Posted 18 Aug 2023
Exploring the franchise: Who can vote in UK elections?The franchise has been in the news recently due to Labour considering plans to extend the franchise to resident EU citizens and 16 and 17 year olds. The question of who gets to vote in...Posted 25 May 2023