Politicians in Northern Ireland have broadly welcomed plans to lower the UK voting age to 16, with Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill hailing the change a “step forward for democracy”.
Confirming the move on Thursday, the UK government said it expected the new age limit to be introduced before the next general election, in 2029.
Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance have all called for the law-change to be extended to the North before the next Assembly and council elections in two years’ time.
However, the UK Electoral Commission said it is “unlikely” to be implemented in time for Northern Ireland’s local polls.
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The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) also welcomed the plan – which was promised in the UK Labour Party’s election manifesto – but said it should be accompanied by changes in the education system to include “political education” on how the voting system works.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), is opposed to the decision, arguing it is “not clear how the government can justifiably set the voting age at 16 rather than the current age threshold”.
“The prime minister’s rationale for this move is essentially a ‘no taxation without representation’ argument,” DUP MLA Brian Kingston said. “It is high time the government applied the same logic to Northern Ireland, where taxpayers here have no say on laws imposed by the European Union.”
People aged 16 or over can already vote in Holyrood, Senedd and local government elections in Wales and Scotland, but not in UK parliamentary elections.
For all elections in Northern Ireland, people must be 18 to vote.
Asked to comment on the likelihood of 16- and 17-year-olds being able to vote in the 2027 Assembly election, a spokeswoman for the UK Electoral Commission said: “The change is expected to be in place for the 2029 Westminster elections, but it’s unlikely to be implemented ahead of the 2027 Assembly and local council elections in Northern Ireland.”
In a post on X, Ms O’Neill said she welcomed the news and that it was a “step forward for democracy and will enable young people to have a say in their future”.
“I’ll now be contacting the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, urging him to ensure that the right to vote at 16 applies to the 2027 Assembly and council elections in the North,” she wrote.
SDLP leader Claire Hanna said voting rights should be changed at all levels.
“There are many young people in Northern Ireland actively engaged in politics and I know that for generations there has been frustration that they could not play a full role in the democratic process,” she said. “The SDLP believes that these voting rights must stretch beyond general elections and be extended to voting for the Assembly and local councils.
“We will continue to make the case for that at Westminster and push for change to secure voting at all levels for 16- and 17-year-olds.”
Alliance North Antrim MLA Sian Mulholland said her party had long argued that the upper age limit for voting is a “major democratic deficit” in Northern Ireland.
“Time is of the essence and we need urgent clarification that it will be a priority to see this implemented in time for the next NI Assembly election in 2027. We cannot afford any further delay.”
UK government ministers will bring forward the change through a new Elections Bill, which also includes plans to change forms of voter ID and tightening rules on political donations to protect against foreign interference.
