2.3 Meet the voters

Who can vote in the UK can be confusing at first. It’s best to approach on a case by case basis. Here’s a few illustrated examples of how eligibility to vote varies by, nation, type of election, age and nationality in the UK.

Amira, 17 – Cardiff, Wales

Amira’s 17 and lives in Cardiff with her mum, who’s from Pakistan. She’s already voted once, in the local council elections, and is planning to vote in the next Senedd election too. In Wales, everyone aged 16 and over who lives here legally, no matter where they’re from, can vote in local and devolved elections. Amira can’t yet vote in UK Parliament elections, she’ll have to wait until she’s 18 for that.

Euan, 15 – Glasgow, Scotland

Euan’s 15 and just registered to vote for the first time. In Scotland, you can go on the register from age 14. When he turns 16 next summer, he’ll be able to vote in both local council and Scottish Parliament elections. He’s already talking with his friends about what issues matter to them most. But even once he turns 18, he’ll only be able to vote in a UK Parliament election for Westminster – not before.

Priya, 19 – Manchester, England

Priya’s 19 and voted for the first time last year in her local council elections. In England, you have to be 18 to vote in any election, and the rules are tighter about who can vote. Her friend Sofia, who’s from Spain, can also vote locally, because Spain is one of a few EU countries with voting agreements, but her flatmate Léa from France can’t vote at all, even though she’s lived in England for years.

Mateo, 24 – Swansea, Wales

Mateo moved from Chile to Swansea last year. He has leave to remain in the UK, which means he’s allowed to live and work here. In Wales, that also means he can vote in local and Senedd elections, just like anyone else who lives there. If he moved to England, though, he’d lose that right – only British, Irish, qualifying Commonwealth citizens and some EU nationals can vote in local elections there.

Aoife, 18 – Belfast, Northern Ireland

Aoife has just turned 18 and voted for the first time in her local council elections. In Northern Ireland, you must be 18 to vote in any election – local, Assembly or UK Parliament. Because she’s a British citizen, Aoife can vote in all of them, including UK general elections.
Her neighbour, Sofia, is from Italy and has lived in Belfast for four years. As an EU citizen, Sofia can vote in local and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, but not in UK Parliament elections. If she lived in England, her voting rights would actually be more limited – she could only vote locally if she were from one of the few EU countries with a special agreement, like Spain or Portugal.

At the moment, you need to be 18 to vote in a UK Parliament (general) election, wherever you live – but this could change soon if the government follows through on plans to lower the voting age to 16.