Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert has welcomed the result of a consultation into lowering the voting age to 16.
53% of 11 to 25-year-olds who responded to a National Assembly consultation said the voting age should be lowered.
More than 10,000 people responded to the consultation, making it the largest response an assembly consultation has ever had.
Over half the respondents said the voting age should be lowered to 18, with just 29% arguing it should stay the same.
Nearly 80% of people said youngsters should have a political education and learn about parliamentary democracy, while 58% of young people said they would vote in an election if it was called tomorrow.
Mr Cuthbert said: “There’s clearly more support than not amongst young people for reducing the voting age to 16.
“As a long–standing supporter of votes for 16 I hope the assembly will be given the powers to reduce the voting age in time for the 2021 assembly elections.
There was strong support for increased political education and this may be something the minister for education will look into.
“It’s important for all assembly members, to act on the views of young people expressed in the Votes@16 consultation.”
Youngsters aged 16 and above were allowed to vote in the Scottish Referendum last year.
The turnout broke British records, with an 84.5% turnout. The turnout in this year’s General Election was 66.1%.
What are your views? Take part in our poll and leave your comments below.
Lowering the voting age will not boost interest in politics? It will lead to a situation where a few extra people in the bracket 16-18 vote because their parents tell them to.
Besides, the younger generations tend to be left-wing which makes this move beneficial to Labour who cannot win elections with the traditional voters. Who would have thought it? Instead of trying to win over existing voters to win Labour plan to win by creating new voters.
“Over half the respondents said the voting age should be lowered to 16” well I never did! Of course they would, the only pleasant surprise is that 29% said no and were wise enough to think about it first. Perhaps all is not lost.
When I turned 18 there was a general election and my buddies and I took great pride in walking down to PenYrHeol community centre to cast our first ever vote. Every single one of us voted in Tony the future war criminal Blair. I still cringe when I think about it even now.
We all know why the SNP and Labour want the voting age reduced its all ready been said in these comments. They remind me more and more of Fagin these days.
You were never asked, like me, because the survey was only aimed at people under the age of 25, a very selective sample.
My own view is that a change in voting age should be discussed as when I was 16 years of age I was strongly in favour of having the vote and felt perfectly capable of understanding the issues of the day. I also was working and paying taxes a couple of weeks after my 16th birthday.
That said it is pretty obvious that Labour and the SNP expect most under eighteens to vote for them, which is why they are keen on the idea. I think they are wrong in believing this, I think most 16 year olds would not bother to vote. Of those who did some would understand exactly what they were voting for, others would just ask Mam & Dad who to vote for, something that the over eighteens do as well. In short it is not going to make much difference to the result and I am minded to allow them to vote.
Yes the survey was only amongst that age group which is why I’m calling it in to question.
I think prediction on voting patterns of 16/17 year olds is an unknown as we have not had it before. Extrapolation from your or my day is also uncertain as we did not have the modern media which can inact an almost cult like following amongst its adherents. Twitter for example can elevate or destroy a person within minutes wether it has merit or not. These would be factors in how or even if these kids vote more than common sense and reasoned thought.
“How many of you would want your faite decided by a 16 year old?” Peter Hitchens.
These are reasonable points you make and this is why there should be a very public debate. The problem with a minimum age is that there has to be one, but at the same time it is very difficult to pin point when individuals are mature enough to make a rational decision. This applies equally to the age of sexual consent, purchase of cigarettes and the consumption of alcohol. When my parents were children women under 30 years of age were not allowed a vote; I don’t think anyone argues that this should be the case now.
I too believe that social media looms too large in the minds of the young, there has always been peer pressure but this is amplified by modern electronic communication. A decent education is the only way to mitigate this as digital communication is not going away.
Looking back at my own life I do not think my political views were noticibly different at age 18, when I did vote, and age 16 when I was denied a vote. I think there is a greater leap in maturity and clarity of thought between the ages of 25 and 30 years than there is between 16 and 21, which are equal lengths of time.
All in all I think that allowing 16 year olds to vote has merit. They are allowed to marry (albeit with parent or guardian consent), work, pay taxes, live in their own households, join the armed forces and so on. To deny them a vote seems a bit harsh, though I do believe that there should be no further lowering of the voting age below 16.
When I was 18 I voted Blair into power (to my eternal shame) so perhaps 21 isn’t such a bad idea.
Interesting piece of history, I didn’t know that men and women and different suffrage limits.
30 would be a bit harsh and there was a little German chap who thought it the right age so I would plump with 21 or 18.
I would also raise the smoking age to 18.
Just for info I voted Labour (Blair) in when I was 37 years old, so much for maturity!
The permitted smoking age in Britain is already 18 years of age.
I didn’t know that the smoking age had changed.
As regards your other statement, fair enough point taken.
Would this include the same sixteen year olds who cause mayhem in and around Caerphilly? Thursday Friday ans saturday nights, resulting in exclusion notices having to be issued against them to behave?.
God save us from has been politicians and their swan songs.
Perhaps before such a far reaching change to the democratic process takes place, the assembly should hold a referendum, so that we all make our views known, at insignificant cost if it is held during next May`s Assembly Elections, then we have all been consulted, all those over 21 that is.
Yes, I think it was John F. Kennedy Jnr. who said “Politics is too important to be left to politicians” and minimum voting age is too important for them to decide too, because their analysis will be all about possible gains for their party. It is essential that the electorate should have a say. By the way Tref the vote would be from over 18 year olds, unless you propose going back to the former age of majority, 21 years.
If there was a vote tomorrow I would vote for 16 year olds to be given the vote but there is a strong counter argument and I am open to persuasion on this.