Petition · past parliament

Allow 16/17 year olds to vote.

Closed 14,656 signatures

What the petition asks

In Year 9 in secondary school we are made to choose our GCSE subjects, at 16 we can smoke, win the lottery have sex, get a job. At 17 you can drive and you start choosing your University/life root and yet we cannot vote until we're 18. WE as a generation are one of the most educated ever. FIX IT.

Government response · 27 April 2017

The Government has no plans to change the voting age in elections.

The House of Commons has debated the question of lowering the voting age in a number of contexts, and has repeatedly voted against lowering it.

This Government has supported young people being given the chance to have their voices heard in many other ways, from having a Youth Parliament through to gaining the views of children and young people on specific areas of legislation.

Cabinet Office

Timeline

30 Jan 2017 Petition opened for signatures
22 Apr 2017 Passed 10,000 signatures, requiring a government response
27 Apr 2017 Government responded
2 May 2017 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 14,656
Status Closed
Opened 30 Jan 2017
Closed 2 May 2017
Response 27 Apr 2017

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.