Empowering young voters: Why quality Citizenship education is key to the success of votes at 16

On Tuesday 28th January 2025 ACT Chief Executive Liz Moorse spoke at the UCL Constitution Unit panel discussion, Making a Success of Votes at 16, chaired by Deputy Director Professor Alan Renwick.

Liz was joined by Dr Christine Huebner (Lecturer in Quantitative Social Sciences, University of Sheffield) and Marcus Flucker (MSYP for Angus South) to discuss the potential impact of lowering the voting age in England. The panel reflected on empirical data from countries that have implemented votes at 16—including Scotland and Wales—and explored the steps needed to ensure its success. They also highlighted the vital role of Citizenship education in empowering young people to engage confidently in democracy.

Dr Christine Huebner’s research delved into data from countries where the voting age has already been lowered, including Scotland, Wales, Austria, Germany, and Estonia – all without negative effect. Looking at the Scottish referendum vote in 2014, 57% of young people chose to vote differently from their parents and research shows that young people make voting decisions with the same reasoning and quality standards as older voters. Research from Latin America also suggests that young people who vote earlier feel they are taken more seriously as democratic citizens and feel more trust in democratic institutions. 

Dr Huebner raised the point that consistent and high-quality Citizenship education can help improve voter turnout and reduce inequality. Without this, young people’s likelihood of voting often depends on encouragement from peers and family, reinforcing existing inequalities. The 2021 Welsh Senedd elections – the first where 16-year-olds could vote, revealed these disparities. As a result, Wales is now taking further steps to ensure a consistent implementation of high-quality democratic education to promote greater equality in future elections. 

The influences and impact of high quality Citizenship education has been the subject of an ACT-funded study being led by Professor Lee Jerome at the University of Middlesex. The research programme aims to identify models and practices that ensure pupils engage in and benefit from citizenship education in a sustained and impactful way. A systematic review of research journals led to a Senior Leaders’ briefing for schools in 2022. You can read more guidance materials for schools or get involved in this national Citizenship education research study here.

The significant role of quality democratic education in combating misinformation, which is especially prevalent during election periods was also highlighted. Citizenship education fosters critical thinking skills, helping young people analyse evidence, make informed decisions, and engage in deliberation and debate, subsequently equipping them to evaluate misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation effectively. In light of this, Liz underlined the urgent need for increased investment in training specialist Citizenship teachers and ensuring that every school has one, as these teachers are uniquely equipped with the pedagogical skills and practices to effectively address controversial, complex, and sensitive issues, helping to counter misinformation.

Marcus and Liz both raised the importance of not only imparting knowledge of political processes, but involving students in Active Citizenship projects to help keep the subject issues driven and bring Citizenship education to life. Doing so empowers young people with the practical skills to engage in democracy beyond the school gates. 

ACT’s Parallel Elections Project served as an example of this, running alongside the 2024 General Election and mirroring the process. Over 400 secondary schools nationwide downloaded these project materials, allowing young people to engage with the issues being discussed during the election period. In addition, 30,000 students got actively involved in every aspect of the process, from evaluating manifestos and acting as politicians, to setting up polling stations and reporting the vote results. This exercise gave young people the opportunity to practise their democratic skills and cement their learning with real-world application. 

In light of the Curriculum and Assessment Review currently taking place in England, as well as similar reviews taking place in Northern Ireland and Scotland, there is an urgent need to work towards ensuring that every young person receives consistent and engaging Citizenship education, led by subject specialists. The role of the government in speaking up for the subject and supporting schools to see Citizenship as important as other subjects, has never been more pressing.