Young people 'should have their say' at poll

The Children's Commissioner for Wales has said that young people should have been allowed to have their say in the upcoming General Election.

An amendment to lower the voting age was not voted on before MPs voted for a 12 December election date. However, Sally Holland, the Children's Commissioner for Wales, said that many teenagers would be ‘champing at the bit’ for a vote and expressed her disappointment that votes for 16 was not debated in the Commons.

She said: “Increasing the range of voices in an election debate can only be a good thing for our democracy, a democracy which our young people should be able to play a full part in as equal, active citizens.”

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru said that, while lowering the voting age is something that should be supported, more ‘thought needs to take place about how this practically might work to stop young people being even more turned away from our democratic system’.

The Electoral Commission says between 410,000 and 560,000 potential voters are missing off the register across Wales, with younger people, renters and students the least likely to be registered to vote.