Petition · past parliament
Change the minimum voting age to 16 across the UK
Rejected
15 signatures
What the petition asks
Currently, you have to be 18 and over to be eligible to vote if you live in England, Northern Ireland or Wales. But in Scotland, you can vote if you’re 16 and over. If we’re old enough to work and pay taxes at 16, we should be old enough to vote and have a say on our future.
16 year olds are allowed to have a say on their future in Scotland, but not in the rest of the UK, despite being old enough to pay taxes if in work. Given that Brexit is the biggest challenge the UK will face in decades, it only seems right, should there be a second referendum, to allow 16 and 17 year olds to have a say on their future, as they will be the people who feel the consequences of Brexit the most.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 11 Apr 2019 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 18 Apr 2019 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
15
Status
Rejected
Rejected
18 Apr 2019
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.