Votes at 16 in the UK: Where the Law Stands, and Which Birth Years Would Vote
16-year-olds already vote in Scotland and Wales. Where the UK bill stands in October 2026, and which birth years could vote at the next general election.
Not yet for UK general elections. 16- and 17-year-olds can already vote in Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Scottish and Welsh council elections, but the voting age for UK general elections is still 18. The Representation of the People Bill, which would lower it to 16, passed the House of Commons on 2 September 2026 and is now at committee stage in the House of Lords. If it becomes law in time, everyone born on or before 15 August 2013 could vote at an election held on the latest possible date, 15 August 2029.
"Can 16-year-olds vote in the UK?" has a more complicated answer than most people expect. It depends on where you live and which election it is. And the rule for UK general elections is in the middle of changing.
Here is where things stand in October 2026, and what the change would mean in birth years.
The rules today
The voting age in the UK depends on whether the election is run under rules set by Westminster or by the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
Already 16:
- Scottish Parliament elections, since 2016
- council elections in Scotland
- Senedd (Welsh Parliament) elections, since 2021
- council elections in Wales
Still 18:
- UK Parliament (general) elections
- all local elections in England
- police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales
- all elections in Northern Ireland
So a 16-year-old in Glasgow or Cardiff can already vote for their national parliament. A 16-year-old in Manchester or Belfast cannot vote in any election at all.
Where the bill stands
The government promised in its manifesto to lower the voting age to 16. In July 2025 its elections strategy confirmed the plan to do it in time for the next general election. It also proposed letting young people register from 14, so they are already on the register when they turn 16.
The change is in the Representation of the People Bill. Its progress so far, from the UK Parliament's own bill record:
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Introduced in the House of Commons | 12 February 2026 |
| Second reading, Commons | 2 March 2026 |
| Committee stage, Commons | 18 March – 16 April 2026 |
| Carried over to the new session | reintroduced 14 May 2026 |
| Report stage and third reading, Commons | 2 September 2026 |
| Second reading, House of Lords | 14 September 2026 |
| Committee stage, House of Lords | in progress |
It is not law yet. It still has to complete its Lords stages and receive Royal Assent. Most parties in the Commons support it; the Conservatives and the Democratic Unionist Party oppose it.
The House of Commons Library estimates it would add about 1.3 million 16- and 17-year-olds in England and 48,000 in Northern Ireland, although not all would meet the nationality rules to register.
Which birth years would vote
Under UK law the next general election has to be held by 15 August 2029. The Parliament elected in 2024 first met on 9 July 2024 and dissolves automatically five years later, and polling day follows within 25 working days. The prime minister can call it earlier.
If it is held on that latest date:
| Voting age | Born on or before | Youngest voters |
|---|---|---|
| 18 (today's rule) | 15 August 2011 | Born in 2011 |
| 16 (if the bill passes in time) | 15 August 2013 | Born in 2013 |
The two extra years of voters, people born between mid-August 2011 and mid-August 2013, are all Generation Alpha. Under either rule, the oldest members of Generation Alpha would vote at a 2029 election. Votes at 16 roughly doubles how many of them do. An earlier election moves both cut-off dates back by the same amount.
Our pages for born in 2011, 2012 and 2013 give the ages and other milestones for each of those years.
What happened where 16-year-olds already vote
The Commons Library briefing summarises the evidence from places that have already lowered the age:
- Scotland. Research found that people who first voted at 16 or 17, in the 2014 independence referendum, were more likely to vote in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election than those who were 18 when they first voted.
- Austria, where 16- and 17-year-olds can vote in all elections, found turnout in that age group higher than among 18- to 21-year-olds but lower than among older voters.
One explanation often given is that 16- and 17-year-olds are still living at home and in school, where voting can be discussed and encouraged, while many 18-year-olds have just moved away. Within the European Union, only Austria and Malta let 16-year-olds vote in national elections.
What families can do now
- In Scotland and Wales, a 16-year-old can already register and vote in parliamentary and council elections. Registration is online at the official UK government site.
- Elsewhere in the UK, nothing changes until the bill becomes law. The proposed registration from 14 would come with it.
- Schools are where most young people first meet politics, and the Commons Library briefing gives a full section to political engagement and education.
The honest summary
Sixteen-year-olds already vote in Scotland and Wales. For UK general elections the bill to lower the age has passed the Commons and is at committee stage in the Lords, but it is not yet law. If it passes in time for an election on the latest possible date in August 2029, people born up to mid-August 2013 could vote. That is two more years of Generation Alpha than under today's rule of 18.
Sources
- UK Parliament. Representation of the People Bill: bill stages (bill record, accessed 4 October 2026).
- Johnston, N. (13 February 2026). Voting age. House of Commons Library Research Briefing 1747. researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk
- GOV.UK (17 July 2025). Restoring trust in our democracy: our strategy for modern and secure elections.
- Institute for Government. Calling a general election.