Wider franchise

• Arguments for compulsory voting


  • Make people more informed about political issues
  • By increasing turnout give greater democratic legitimacy to the party who win an election
  • Ensuring that more sections of society are involved, decision makers will have to ensure that policies will address the concerns of all parts of society
  • Voting is a civic duty so citizens should be obliged to carry it out
• Arguments against compulsory voting


  • Civil liberties violation - basic right not to take part
  • Voters are not well informed so there will be ill-informed participation
  • Expensive to administer and enforce the system
  • Favour larger parties- less-informed citizens will vote and they only heard of big parties.
• Suffragettes methods used

  • Art
  • Debating
  • Propaganda
  • Smashing window
  • Arson
  • Emily Pankhurst jump in front of horse
• Suffragist methods


  • Lobbying
  • Petitions
  • Parades
  • Street speaking
  • Pageants
  • Demonstrations
• Arguments for prisoners voting


  • Not letting them removes civic responsibility and so makes rehabilitation harder
  • Increases participation
  • Taking away right doesn't do anything
  • After their sentence they live in that country so should have say how countries are run
  • Some prisoners are actually innocent so should have say
  • Forces people to be educated
  • MPs go to prison and stay as MPs so not fair
  • No evidence franchise acts as a deterrent
  • Makes prisoners like children and alienates them from society
  • Violation of human rights act
• Arguments against prisoners voting


  • Disobeyed law so shouldn't be allowed to vote
  • Criminals deserved to be punished
  • Losing vote prevents crime and enhances civic responsibility
  • Giving them the vote undermines the principle of justice
  • If allowed to vote they might influence society around them badly
• In Scottish referendum 2014 75% 16-18 yr olds voted
• Study by NUT showed 75% 18-24 yrs said they will vote in next election
• In 2017 election over 70s voted 75% Conservative, 18-24 voted 19% Conservative
• Schools provide citizenship and political education
• Responsibilities of 16 yr olds

  Pay taxes

  Join army

  Get married
• Political Knowledge of 16 year olds

  • Limited - citizenship education minor part of curriculum so lack awareness and understanding
• Turnout of 18-24 year olds

  • Low - reducing voting age has minimal value 2017 58% which increase from 2015 43% shows importance of parties need to engage youth
• Young don't need vote at 16 to be persuaded to vote
• Need to increase turnout for those who already have the vote
• No evidence lowering voting age increases voter turnout
• Parties' policies focus on older voters, parties haven't shifted focus to young so 16 yr old won't vote
• 2014 Scottish general election still had low turnout 66.4%
• Rights of 16 year olds

  • Limited - have to have parents' permission, have to continue in some form of education/training until 18, only when 18 can make own decision
• Doesn't make sense to give 16 year olds the vote when they don't yet have sole responsibility of own decisions
• Allowing young to vote in Scottish referendum is an example of democratic deficit
• Without coherent debate about politics and citizenship education, there should be no debate on lowering voting age