Wales to lower voting age in electoral reform plans

Under plans to modernise elections in Wales, those aged 16 and 17 could soon be able to cast their vote in council elections.

The Welsh government wants to lower the voting age to allow younger people to vote at the council elections in 2022, and is also expected to announce plans to give non-UK citizens who are ‘living legally in Wales’ a vote. Wales' next local authority elections to be held in May 2022.

The move is part of a wider initiative to ‘modernise’ voting in Wales, with Alun Davies, Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services, saying that changes to the electoral system would also see mobile polling stations trialled to allow people to vote in places such as supermarkets and libraries, as well as a pilot of electronic voting and counting.

Davies said: “Local democracy is all about participation. We want to boost the numbers registered as electors, make it easier for people to cast their votes, and give more people the right to take part.

“I am concerned we are still seeing far too many people, particularly young people, disengaged from the political process. There are many reasons for this but we must do more to make the process more attractive, welcoming and transparent. The proposals we’re announcing this week will, we hope, help increase participation and improve the democratic process for everyone in Wales.

“I would like to see authorities in Wales take the lead and pilot a number of innovative voting methods, something put on hold at the UK level since the mid-2000s. I want to see whether, for example electronic voting or counting, voting on more than one day and in places other than traditional polling stations, could boost participation rates and improve the overall experience for Welsh voters.”