Some might call it blatant electioneering, others might laud it as a long-overdue extension of democracy. Either way, the SNP’s plan to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds looks likely to be introduced in time for Scotland’s forthcoming independence referendum.
UK ministers have admitted that they cannot stop the Scottish government lowering the franchise to include 16 and 17 year olds for the referendum.
Meanwhile, Scottish ministers have made it clear this is something they are committed to and that there will be clauses inserted into the referendum bill paving the way for a new, younger floor on the voting franchise.
The result is likely to be that 16 and 17 year olds are likely to be offered the vote in a major Scotland-wide poll for the first time in the independence referendum, due to be held in late 2014 or early 2015.
The current age limit for voting is 18 and it is controlled, for elections, by the Westminster government – which has no plans to change it. But the referendum is different. That is totally within the power of the Scottish government and it can set the rules for every part of it, including the franchise.
Even from a cursory look from the outside, it is obvious what Alex Salmond is keen to lower the voting age for the independence referendum. He is aware – as is every student of elections in Scotland - that young Scots are generally much more enthusiastic about independence than are their older counterparts.
Existing rules allow 16 and 17 year olds to be on the electoral register if they will be aged 18 within 12 months of the period beginning on 1 December after their application is submitted.
At the moment, they are on the register but cannot vote until they turn 18. Under the SNP plans, these 16 and 17 year olds would be on the register and, for the first in a national referendum, would be able to vote.
Up to 125,000 new voters would be added to the Scottish electorate if 16 and 17 year old Scots were given the vote. This would add 3 per cent to the voters’ roll and, in a referendum which is expected to be very tight, this extra block of new voters could prove to be very significant, even decisive.
The unionist parties, desperate to stop Mr Salmond from lowering the voting age, have been looking for ways to stop him. But UK ministers have now admitted privately that, after taking legal advice, that they cannot stand in Mr Salmond’s way.
All Scottish ministers have to do is make sure that the referendum bill which is passed by Holyrood contains appropriate clauses to make such a change legal.
“The Scottish government has the power to legislate to determine the franchise for any referendum in respect of a devolved matter," a senior UK government source told the Times.
“If the Scottish government brings forward legislation to hold a referendum on independence then it would be for the Scottish government to decide on the franchise. That would normally be provided for in the legislation setting the question.”
Polling evidence suggests that younger voters are more enthusiastic they are about independence.
In an Ipsos MORI poll conducted at the end of last month, 46 per cent of voters aged between 18 and 24 said they wanted Scotland to become independent, compared to 48 per cent in this age group who said they backed the union.
The poll revealed also that, as the age of the voters increased, so their support for the union grew stronger. Among voters aged 55 and over, for example, only 32 per cent backed independence with 62 per cent supporting the union.
Scottish ministers have already established a precedent for lowering the voting age. A pilot project lowered the voting age to 16 for two health board elections last year and, with that principle established, SNP ministers believe they have everything in place to lower the voting age for their referendum on independence.
A spokesperson for the first minister pointed out that, in the most recent TNS poll – which put independence ahead by 39 per cent to 38 per cent among the whole population - showed support for independence at 40 per cent (with 32 per cent opposed) among 18–24 year olds.
He said: “All sections of Scottish society will come together to choose Scotland’s future and independence in the referendum, and it is only right that young folk – who can legally marry and join the armed forces – should have their say.”
A senior Scottish government source also suggested that the Scottish government would conduct a major publicity drive in the run-up to the referendum in an attempt to get as many 16 and 17 year olds on to the voting register as possible.
A spokesman for the Electoral Commission confirmed that many 16 and 17 year olds are already invited to be on to the electoral register, so the infrastructure is already in place for them to vote.
What happens at the moment, though, is that 16 and 17 year olds are put on the register but are not sent polling cards until they reach the age of 18.
The referendum bill is expected to change this part of the election process, paving the way for all those on the electoral register to be sent polling cards, not just those who are over 18.
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