The UK Democracy Fund supported forty organisations to develop a shared, cross-sector vision for delivering Votes at 16 effectively across the UK.
The Democracy Classroom Network, led by The Politics Project, published A Roadmap to Votes at 16, in Parliament on 16 July, at an event attended by the Minister for Democracy and Homelessness, Rushanara Ali MP.
Developed with input from hundreds of teachers, youth practitioners, young people and leading organisations, the roadmap sets out 16 key recommendations to ensure that lowering the voting age becomes a transformative step for UK democracy.
It argues that without significant investment in democratic education, youth engagement and infrastructure, the extension of the franchise risks being symbolic rather than substantive.
The roadmap recommends:
- Establishing a minimum entitlement to democratic education from primary through to post-16 settings.
- Supporting educators and youth practitioners with specialist training, resources and guidance.
- Modernising the curriculum to prepare young people to vote for the first time.
- Expanding opportunities for young people to engage directly with politicians and influence policy.
- Launching national youth-led communications campaigns to build a new culture of participation among first-time voters.
The roadmap has been endorsed by 40 key organisations, including: Association for Citizenship Teaching, Association for Colleges, Education Scotland, National Union of Students UK (NUS), National Youth Agency, Network of Regional Youth Work Units, Shout Out UK , The Politics Project and UK Youth alongside leading academics in democratic education and participation.
