Representation of the People Bill — Further written evidence submitted by the Children's Commissioner (RPB50)

1

Representation of the People
Bill Committee Submission
April 2026

2
Representation of the People Bill Committee
The Children’s Commissioner supports the extension of the franchise to 16 -year-olds. Extending voting
rights to children not only gives them a tangible say in the democratic process, but also has the potential
second order impact of ensuring greater consid eration of children in the decision making of political
parties by providing a greater incentive for them to do so.
The Commissioner has long been concerned about the voices of children in the democratic process, and
it is her duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to promote the views and interests of children.
As noted in the Children’s Commissioner’s report The Big Ambition: ‘Without the proper structures in
place to consult with [children], it means when it comes to elections, manifestos, promises from their
local MPs or councillors, their opinions are too easily ignored.’1
As part of her ongoing work to protect and promote the rights of children and ensure that their voices
are heard, the Children’s Commissioner will be conducting the third mass survey of children of her time
in office: The Big Future. This will be launching on May 8 th, 2026, and she will be conducting interviews
with children across the length and breadth of England to ensure their views are fully represented in her
advocacy and policy work. This survey will, for the first time, be asking specific questions regarding
preparedness to vote , and will ensure that future engagement from the Children’s Commissioner
regarding young people and voting will be more fully representative of the views of England’s children.
The status quo
Right now, children do not feel listened to. When the Children’s Commissioner surveyed children in 2023-
2024 for her survey The Big Ambition, only 22% of children agreed that people who run the country
listened to what they had to say. More children disagr eed with this statement (40%) than any other
statement in the survey.

1 Children’s Commissioner for England, The Big Ambition, 2024, available at: The Big Ambition | Children's Commissioner for England

3
As a girl of 12 responding to the survey wrote: “The government should listen to the views of children
more and consider their opinions”. Votes at 16 goes some way to rectifying this.
Children should have their voices heard without being saddled with adult responsibilities. Thus,
politicians and state bodies will continue to have a duty, both moral and under the UK’s obligations
under the UNCRC, to continue to engage with children and with the Children’s Commissioner to ensure
that children’s voices are heard and taken seriously when making decisions that impact them.
Long-term impacts
There is reason to believe that lowering the voting age will have long -term implications for voter
turnout. Existing studies indicate that lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 has an impact on turnout,
in that 16 - and 17-year-olds have higher turnout than 18-year-olds.2 The best test case for this, given
geographic and cultural similarity, is Scotland, where voting eligibility has been 16 for Scottish
parliamentary elections since 2014. Here, turnout is higher among 16 - and 17-year-olds than 18 -year-
olds. 3. Political scientists have pointed to a Scottish “follow -through effect” – that those who are
enfranchised and exercise their right to vote at a younger age have slightly higher rates of turnout over
the long term.4
Education
If we want the next generation to fully participate in public life, we must make sure they have the
knowledge and confidence to understand how democracy works, how to weigh up the information
they see online, and how to engage respectfully in political debate.

2 Zeglovits and Aichholzer. ‘Are People More Inclined to Vote at 16 than at 18? Evidence for the First -Time Voting Boost among
16-to 25-Year-Olds in Austria’, 2025, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 24, 351–361
3 Eichhorn and Hueber, ‘Votes at 16 in Scotland: Political Experiences beyond the Vote Itself’, 2020, In Eichhorn J., Bergh J. (eds) Lowering the
Voting Age to 16: Learning from Real Experiences Worldwide, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
4 Eichorn and Hueber, “Longer‐Term Effects of Voting at Age 16: Higher Turnout Among Young People in Scotland”, 2025, Politics and
Governance, 13, Article 9283

4
Research from the Electoral Commission indicates that the existing state of political education in schools
is insufficient. 30% of UK 11-17-year-olds surveyed reported that they had been taught about politics in
the past year at school.5
The Children’s Commissioner gathered the views of her 16- and 17-year-old Youth Ambassadors on what
should be done to get 16 -year-olds ready to vote. Most stated about the specific and strong need for
greater democratic education, and a selection of their views are below:
“Better education around voting, especially better materials to educate young
people with SEND on voting - through PSHCE curriculum”
“Better political education and better awareness of the different parties you
can vote for and what they stand for.”
“Make sure that children learn the basics about politics (different houses,
parties & what they stand for, key figures, current affairs etc.)”
There was also reference to a sense of a chilling effect within schools. Existing guidance around political
impartiality appears to potentially result in teachers being afraid to address political questions in
classrooms. This culture seems unlikely to fos ter quality political education, as observed by the
Commissioner’s Youth Ambassadors:

5 Electoral Commission, Young People’s Views on Politics and Voting, 2026, available at: Young people's views on politics and voting 2026 |
Electoral Commission

5
“More political education within schools. Teachers are too scared to say the
wrong thing when it comes to politics so it's not really talked about.“
“More in-depth discussion at schools around politics as I feel because schools
are supposed to be neutral they avoid the topic of politics altogether so
children are unsure as to how to vote or who to vote for and that their voice
matters.”
Children in care, care leavers, and children in secure settings
Children in care will require support to engage with democratic processes, and in particular in registering
to vote. Children in care may or may not live in areas that they feel particularly connected to, and as
such should be properly supported in registering to vote in the area that they feel connected to.
In keeping with wider support (including, for instance, personal advisor support), support offered to
children in care should be extended to all care leavers up to the age of 25.
Children in secure settings will face significant difficulties in voting. Children on remand are excluded
from Release On Temporary License so there is currently no process for them to get approval to leave
their setting to go to a polling station.
It would be theoretically possible to consider adapting Special Purpose Licences to include voting, but
this would likely mean significant logistical burdens upon the secure estate.
As such, a practical view is that the Government must ensure that children can vote by post or proxy,
and ensure that secure settings are supported in both encouraging them to exercise their democratic
rights and offering them help in doing so.
Children who are in secure children’s homes, or in future other relevant accommodation, under section
25 of the Children Act, or who are deprived of their liberty under the inherent jurisdiction, as well as
children in inpatient mental health settings, sho uld be supported to attend polling stations in person
wherever possible.

6
The Government should also uphold the rights of children who are sentenced to custody, particularly
those whose sentences will conclude before they turn 18. All sentenced children must be supported to
register to vote, and the Commissioner believes that those children who will leave custody before they
turn 18 should have the right to vote, recognising the critical importance of early democratic
engagement.
The Government must ensure that these children are supported in registering to vote before the
deadline.

7

11th Floor, 64 Victoria Street
London, SW1E 6QP

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
@childrenscommissioner
@ChildrensComm