Local elections
I hope all those eligible to vote in today’s local elections have done so, or will before the polling booths close. They are open until 10.00 p.m. Results are expected from the early hours of Friday onwards.
The fight for universal suffrage was long and fraught.
The Third Reform Act of 1884 gave the right to vote to two in every three men, though some men had two or more votes. Unmarried female rate payers had been allowed to vote in local elections since 1869, but were not allowed to vote in General (Parliamentary) Elections.
In 1918, when men returned from the horrors of the First World War, it was felt that there should be a change in the voting laws. The men had fought for their country, but many were disbarred from voting for representation. The Representation of the People Act, 1918, enfranchised all men over the age of 21. Women aged 30 or older, who owned property in their own right, or were married to men who had property, were given the vote.
UK women were awarded the same right to vote as men in 1928. The voting age then was 21.
The UK voting age was reduced to 18 in 1969. This made the country the first democracy worldwide to give the vote to 18-year-olds. Scotland and Wales lowered the voting age to 16 for the Scottish Parliament, in 2015 -2016, for the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in 2021-2022, and local elections.
In February this year, The Representation of the People Bill (2026) began its tortuous, torturous journey through Parliament. Its intention is to lower the voting age to 16 for all elections in the UK. The government hopes that it will be passed into law before the next General Election.
I know
some highly thoughtful and intelligent 16-year-olds, and also many more who are
impressionable, and the things they fervently believe often change out of all
recognition by the time they have experienced more of life than school,
training, and education. They are likely to fall prey to be influenced
by some of the wilder claims of the more desperate parties.
There’s
still time to cast your vote – if you’re in the UK and eligible.
I agree - voting is a basic right but not to be taken for granted. Use it wisely!
ReplyDelete16 seems to me to be rather young to vote. They're still rebellious teenagers. Ive heard so much about these elections it will be interesting to learn the results and read everyone's opinion on them. I'll be tuning into the BBC tomorrow morning
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that 18 is still too young to vote, I would prefer 25, so that those voting will have at least had some experience of life.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, I would put a minimum age on prospective candidates, probably at least 30, again, so that they will have had some more life experience.
And I would like to see fewer "professional" politicians - I think that people representing us should have a much broader experience than just being a bag carrier for an MP or think tank pen pusher.
When I think of myself at age 16 ... no ... it's too young to really understand what you are voting for.
ReplyDelete