Should we let 16 and 17 year olds vote? Teignbridge expected to vote yes
A Devon council will today vote on whether to call for 16 and 17 year olds to be allowed to vote - and changes to the system for selecting candidates.
Last updated 14th Jan 2021
In a motion before Teignbridge Council Andrew Swain, Kenn Valley Lib Dem, said: "There should be a move to use a system of preference voting including proportional representation in multi-member wards for local elections as soon as is practicably possible and the voting age should be reduced to 16.
"This would elect a council which more accurately represents the range and proportions of political views among Teignbridge residents.”
If agreed at today's meeting, the Lib Dem run council will write to the Prime Minister calling for a change.
An internal report, following the motion, said: "The electoral system used for elections in England and Wales, First Past the Post (FPTP), is not a fair system, because it means that votes do not have equal weight and many votes are wasted.
"Voters cannot express their preferences clearly. If a voter’s first choice does not win, that voter has no say in which of the other candidates does win.
"FPTP can elect Candidate A when more than 50% of the voters would prefer Candidate B but some had a first choice of Candidate C. FPTP does not give the best possible outcome.
"The alternative to FPTP is a system of Preference voting where voters rank candidates in order and all voters views are still considered after rejecting the least popular candidates. In multi-member wards there can be Proportional Representation (PR), where votes cast for parties translate more directly into seats won.
"There are many variants of PR. “Single Transferable Vote” (STV) is already in use for local elections in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This would give a mix of elected candidates closer to the mix of voter views, a fairer system of representation.
"The introduction of PR for local elections in Scotland has led to an increase in turnout, which was 47% at the last elections held in 2017. In contrast turnout in the Teignbridge District Council election in 2019 was 39%. This suggests that the improved representation offered by PR encourages greater engagement in local democracy.
"The council also recognises that 16 and 17 years olds can leave home, can start a family, can get married, can work, pay taxes and can join the armed forces.
“With elections occurring every 4 years, they should also be able to vote.”
For more about the motion today going before the full council (10am) click here
For more about today's meeting click here