ETV that the franchise in the UK needs to be widened

Question 1

Para headings LOA

Answer 1

Age
Prisoners
VoterID
LOA Franchise doesn’t need to be widend

Question 2

Age: should be widened

Answer 2

16 yr olds already have signif. freedom & responsibility
* pay tax, join army,marry, face criminal charges, have sex, leave school
* Brexit 2016 left many young ppl. furious

young ppl. aren’t apathetic
* 2014 independence 16&17yr olds - 75% turned out
* show their interest less formally
* 75% said they’d vote in next GE

pol. parties would have to listen to younger ppl. more
* brexit, tution fees, cuts in ed. & welfare
* pensioners protected by cuts

adults not necessarily more politically aware
* all state schls. have citizenship & pol. ed.
* would feel more valued as citizens
* UK youth parl.
* estab. better habits and increase turnout in long-term

Question 3

Age: shouldn’t be widened

Answer 3

limited rights & experience
* likely to vote from peer pressure & parental influence
* parental permission for armed forces & marriage
* not given sole responsibility for other decisions until 18

low turnout
* 2016 Isle of Man turnout in that group fell by 10% from 2006
* low turnout in younger age groups as is

lack of education
* only compulsory & sate schls. and quality/ legitimacy of that debatable
* minor part of curriculum - uninfromed about mechanics of pol.
* lack ed. & awareness - need to understand weight of decisions

no evidence that it would increase turnout
* parties tend to focus policies on the ‘grey vote’
* Scottish rfe. turnout did not translate to 2017 GE overall turnout of 66%
* maj. of policies wuld still focus on older age groups

Question 4

Prisoners: should be widened

Answer 4

democracy & universal suffrage (right for all to vote)
* truly democratic society protects principle of universal suffrage
* undermines HR and suggests they’re conditional

rehab. & reintegration
* promotes civic engagement & encourages them to feel more connected to society
* could support rehab. process by treating them as responsible citizens

ECHR rulings
* 2005 Hirst V UK ruled UK’s blanket ban violated human rights
* Many democracies (Canada, Ireland, Germany) allow

Inconsistent approach
* current rules arbitrary - some can some can’t
* more consistency would allow all prisoners to retain voting rights and find equality in that

Question 5

Prisoners: shouldn’t be widened

Answer 5

punishment- loss of rights is a consequence of crime
* forfeit certain civil rights (e.g. right to liberty)
* voting tied to civic responsibility - prisoners have failed to uphold those values

public opinion opposes it
* could undermine trust in political system
* only 16% think they should have vote

practical & moral issues
* difficult to manage logistically & morally controversial
* could be ‘insulting’ to victims

limited political pressure
* major parties have no serious intentions of reforming the law
* only minor reforms have been introduced -2018 (some can vote under certain circumstances) and they are already enough

Question 6

Voter ID: should be widened

Answer 6

• ID disenfranchises: elderly, low-income voters, ethnic minorities, young people
• 2023: over 14,000 turned away
• voter fraud = extremely rare > disproportionate response that damges turnout more than protects democracy
• restricts participation > risks creating a ‘two-tier’ democracy where some citizens face more obstacles than others

Question 7

Voter ID

Answer 7

• protects electoral integrity
• even if rare voter fraud undermines trust in elections
• common in other democracies (canada, germany) & seen as standard practice
• widely available - gov. offers free Voter Authority Certificate for those w/o ID
• Most adults already have ID > 74%
• public support (65% respondents to Electoral Commissions Public Attitudes 2024 report) that it enhances legitimacy