Fair and Equal voting rights for young people across the UK

16-17 year-olds in Scotland and Wales are able to vote in local and national parliamentary elections. Their peers in England and Northern Ireland are not allowed to vote in any election until the age of 18. Unequal voting rights for young people is unfair and goes against the UK Government commitment on ‘levelling up’ the UK. We demand the devolution of electoral franchise powers to establish equal voting rights, and statutory democratic education for all young people across the UK.

We ask elected representatives from all political parties in every local authority, combined authority, and in Westminster to support our campaign to the ‘level up’ of electoral franchise rights for 16-17 year-olds including:

1. Devolution of electoral franchise powers to English local authorities and combined authorities, and the Northern Ireland Assembly;
2. The lowering of the voting age for 16 and 17 year-olds in England & Northern Ireland for English local and combined authority, and local and Northern Ireland Assembly elections
3. Provide statutory opportunities for ALL young people to learn about & participate in democracy PRIOR to enfranchisement

Join the conversion @YouthFocusNW #EqualVotes #Votesat16 #LevelUpVotes

For further details about the Fair and Equal voting rights in the North West, please contact: Rachael Townsend (she/her), Communications Manager, Youth Focus North West via r.townsend@youthfocusnw.org.uk