On 17 April 1969, the Act that lowered the voting age, the Representation of the People Act 1969, became law and, for the first time, gave 18 to 20 year olds the right to vote in elections.

 

One of the young voters first enfranchised was Tom Aitchison, Scotland’s Regional Returning Officer for the European Elections. He was 18 in 1969 and was first able to vote in the next election. He said:

 

"My brother is three years older than me but the changes meant that we both voted for the first time in the same election. I remember being really pleased about that, partly because I could put one over on him, but mostly because my chance to vote had come sooner than I expected.

 

“For me and many of my peers, that first vote was the start of our ongoing participation in elections. At the time, a teenager being able to take part in elections was a novelty, and now we take it for granted. I want to see the new generations of voters valuing their opportunity to influence the results of elections and getting into the voting habit for years to come."

 

However, research by the Electoral Commission has shown that 18-24 year olds are less likely to take part in elections.

 

“This age group move around a lot, from term time to home addresses, or starting out in new jobs and moving away from home and often live in shared accommodation”, explained Andy O’Neill, Head of the Electoral Commission’s Scotland Office. “They may assume parents, college authorities or other people they live with will fill in their voter registration form for them. This can mean that many young people think that they are registered but will find that they are not and will not be able to cast a vote on June 4^th”.

 

“Forty years on from the extension of this democratic right, it is important that the rights that were gained by young people are not lost by a failure to register”, added Mr O’Neill.

 

Registering is easy and takes just a few minutes. Print off a form from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk or call your local authority for more information.

 

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact:

Lynne Veitch or Shaheena Abbas, Pagoda Public Relations, 0131 556 0770

Out of office hours: 07967 11 11 97

Email elections@pagodapr.com

 

 

1.To register to vote, or for more information, including to visit our virtual polling station, visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

 

2.You can register to vote if you live in the UK and are aged 18 or over on polling day and a British, Irish Republic, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen. British citizens living overseas are also eligible to vote if they have been registered in the UK in the past ten years. Members of the UK armed forces serving abroad can also vote.

 

3.The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections. The responsibility for running elections and overseeing the count lies with Returning Officers and the Electoral Commission reports afterwards on the administration of elections in the UK.