The UK Government has published its Representation of the People Bill, which proposes several major changes to our democratic system. If passed, these changes could affect the people you work with.
Key proposals include:
- lowering the voting age to 16 for all UK elections
- expanding the list of accepted voter ID
- introducing more automated forms of voter registration
The bill also includes measures to protect candidates from abuse and strengthen our enforcement powers.
Votes at 16
What’s changing
The voting age will be lowered to 16 for all UK Parliament elections and for local elections in England.
Voter ID
What’s changing
The bill will:
- expand the list of ID accepted at polling stations, to include bank cards as a non-photo form of ID
- introduce a digital Voter Authority Certificate (a free form of voter ID provided by the government)
- introduce digital versions of ID that will be accepted at polling stations.
Automated voter registration
What’s changing
The bill would allow electoral registration officers to register eligible voters without waiting for an application, removing a barrier to voting.