Petition · past parliament · Cabinet Office

Lower the age of voting in local elections to 16 across England & NI

Closed 209 signatures

What the petition asks

I want the Government to lower the age of voting in local elections to 16 in England and Northern Ireland, to make it standard across the UK. Currently, 16 year olds can vote in local elections in Scotland and Wales, but can't in England and Northern Ireland.
I would like the Government to lower the voting age to 16 in local elections as I think it is only fair it becomes standard across the UK. 16 is also the age when other age restrictions get lifted, such as being able to leave school. Also, I think that younger people can become dissuaded from politics as they have no involvement in it growing up, so lowering the age could be beneficial for getting younger people more involved in politics and increasing voter turnout.

Timeline

1 Mar 2024 Petition opened for signatures
29 May 2024 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 209
Status Closed
Department Cabinet Office
Opened 1 Mar 2024
Closed 29 May 2024

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