U1T1 Modern Extension Of The Franchise Flashcards
Which groups are still excluded from voting?
- anyone under 18
- prisoners (although different in Scotland where in elections some can)
- people sectioned under the Mental Health Act
- peers currently serving in the HoL
- homeless people as they don’t have a permanent address.
What are the positives and negatives of 16 and 17 year olds being given the vote?
Positives- radicalism of the very young could balance out the many elderly voters;
the 18-24 age groups turnout is very low and it could cause an increase in it;
social media has caused more citizenship education.
Negatives- many issues are too complex for adolescents to understand; adolescents can be overly radical for the sake of it; this age bracket has a very low stake in society as they don’t pay tax.
What is a modern campaign/ pressure group to extend the franchise?
Votes At 16- Campaigns such as Make Votes Matter and the Electoral Reform Society push for lowering the voting age to 16 in all UK elections.
Which methods does votes for 16 year olds use and how do they differ to those of the past?
- publishing info through it’s website.
- provides advice on how to lobby MPs, raise awareness and email Politicians.
- organised an initiative called ‘adopt a peer’ to encourage members of the campaign to contact and lobby specific MPs.
- arent violent, dont really have a strong force backing them
Where has Votes at 16 got to?
Scottish Elections Act 2015 lowered voting age to 16.
Wales adopted votes at 16 in 2018.
Lowering the voting age to 16 was part of the Liberal Democrat’s, SNP’s and the Green’s manifesto in 2019.
What is another campaign to extend the franchise
Prisoner voting- Some groups, including Unlock Democracy and The Prison Reform Trust, argue for giving prisoners the right to vote, following European Court of Human Rights rulings that the UK’s blanket ban is unlawful.
