United Kingdom - May 2026

On 14 May, the UK government reintroduced a major electoral reform package that would extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds in all UK elections (including to the UK Parliament), potentially enfranchising 1.7 million additional people. The minimum voting age is currently 16 only for local council elections in - and elections to the devolved parliaments of - Scotland and Wales. The proposal is accompanied by government commitments to strengthen citizenship education. Other proposals include introducing forms of automatic voter registration, expanding voter ID options, and tightening political-finance rules to mitigate against foreign influence. New ‘know your donor’ requirements would require political parties and campaigners to conduct more rigorous checks on donation sources. The bill must now complete the legislative process in both parliamentary chambers. The government intends for the reforms to be in force before the next UK general election.

Sources: UK Government (1), UK Government (2), UK Parliament, BBC, UK Electoral Commission