No, and voters should be required to pass a basic test demonstrating their understanding of politics in order to vote

It rules out a significant portion of the population that are the future of the country and should have an impact on the lives ahead of them

With age doesn’t always come intelligence, what if many 16 year olds can pass the test but some adults struggled more. How is that fair?

i belive no matter the age everyone should be able to vote and their understanding is up to the individual

Why should we have to pass a test to prove our understanding when we are the future generation? Shouldn't we have a say on our upbringing and not leave it to our elders who have had their time?

Most of the population does not have a 'basic' understanding of politics. It's about beliefs, voting and standing for what you believe in.

If we are going to test people on their understanding of politics we need to have a good way to educate people on politics first

Young people are the future generation and should have a say on who dictates the country as it impacts them the most.

People are always getting older and learning new things. At the end of the day the next generation WILL be the new generation. If not understanding politics is an issue then current topics should be talked and Explained More in lessons for school

It disincentivises going out and voting as you have to sign up to take the test, god knows how long the waiting list will be and is a waste of money either for the individual or the taxpayer

they shouldn't have to prove their intelligence by using their right to vote. it may incentivise people from voting

This should be taught in schools so people have a basic understanding of a political stance. If you pay taxes then you should have the right to vote. However this is useless without the understanding of our political system and it’s flaws.

In my opinion, the voting age should be lowered but a basic test for those under 18 in order to dissuade improper votes should be applied. I believe that the voting age should be 16 so that young people interested in politics are able to get involved.

I believe people 16-18 should have a choice in voting if they have a level of knowledge in the field of voting. 18 and over however should

If that is the case then all schools should be legally required to teach all children about politics and the UK political system. This should be a requirement regardless of whether the voting age were to decrease or not. By not educating the next generation of voters, you are alienating them all while taking away their sense of duty, accountability and ability to think for themselves. This is how people become sheep, something most governments prefer because it means a longer reign for themselves. This is wrong.

Many 16/17 year olds would be able to pass that basic test, especially if they are taught politics in school. Growing older warps the understanding of politics and these young adults are the future, teach them early that their opinion matters.

No answer. Many people who vote and of older ages have no concept of politics. Some people are tribal about it as if a political party or ideology is their favourite football team.

No, the voters should not be required to pass a basic test demonstrating their understanding of politics in order to vote because it allows people to do so.

Pay tax, have the right to vote. Any citizen subject to laws passed by Parliament should have the right to vote.

Younger people are the ones who have to live with the decisions, they should be able to have a day in who wins

By the time most policies promised on campaign trails come to fruition, the 16 year olds who couldn’t vote are just as affected as everybody else, yet they had no say.

First, most UK-born citizens could not pass this. Second, these tests tend to be about memorisation of irrelevant facts for a multiple-choice test rather than demonstrating true understanding. For example the UK test asks about populations of minor cities. The aim seems to be to make people are willing to demonstrate commitment by exerting some effort to pass the test, rather than making sure they learn anything useful.

A persons definition of “basic” varies greatly between people. People should be free to vote for who they believe will support their views best, regardless of their understanding on how politics works

Yes, the age limit should be lowered as it is the future generation which will be most affected. However, there should be a basic test on political knowledge to ensure that we know who we are voting for an confirm a more informed decision.

Many young people are very knowledgable about their country and politics, more than many adults, and deserve a say in descisions that affect them

If I pay taxes I want to vote. I pay taxes for my quite high paying job, I would like to vote on how my taxes are spent. There is already a turnout problem, good luck getting people to vote when they have to take a test first. You shouldnt need to be able to pass a test to exercise your RIGHT to vote. It should be equal to everyone. Thank you- 16 year old.

How are you going to test if someone has the correct morals to vote for what is best for our future generations? The future generations will genuinely vote for what will prevent the problems being foreshadowed for their future.

That’s elitist and is not a democracy. Who decides the test? Who decides who can’t vote? You can’t do that. Next up would be taking the vote back from women.

Yes people should have a basic understanding of politics- if they have this they should be allowed to vote

Age politically skews voting, young are often the most educated. The elderly do not have to demonstrate their political understanding, so why should the young?

You need to demonstrate whether you understand politics or not, either you do or you don't. Minimum voting age should be lowered as they are the future generation who have to deal with consequences of politics that they didn't get to choose themselves.

Voting is a rigth, not a privilege therefore there should be no test and the lest restrictions in place to allow more people to vote as that is true democracy

16 year olds are responsible enough o give consent, have a full time job, live alone, pay tax and forcing a basic test infringes on the right to vote and will deter working class voters

if you give them a test you are infringing on their own free will to vote with their opinion, as silly as it may sound, it's their opinion and everyone should have the chance to be heard. Also the party in charge could easily bias the test, however I do realise there are ways around this.

This would be beneficial but it reduces the rights of the people who should be able to pay taxes, and regardless I think the age should be lowered even if they took the test.

i agree less with it. people who are younger should be allowed to vote because they'll be alive in the next generation- older people wont be

If the test was introduced, then what’s to say a 16 or 17 year old may not pass it? If they do, then they should be eligible to vote like everyone else.

Intelligence and moral decision making is not mutually exclusive. Also if you are being taxed but not allowed to have a say in how the tax is being spent is this not theft?
If they are old enough to be working and paying tax then they are old enough to vote.

There is not much of a difference in political maturity between the ages of 16 and 18 so it would likely be unnecessary

We don't insist that people fully understand a product or service before they buy it, and multinational corporations have a huge influence on our lives. Why then should we insist that people fully understand politics before voting?

Yes, the older generations have been proven to be more prejudiced than the younger generations, and have proven that they vote for people who interest only them, we can see this as most Brexit voters are now dead

If you are 16, work and pay taxes you are entitled to vote as much as an 18 year old is. They deserve a say in where their tax money is going like any one has.

The UK Citizenship Test for migrants has been proven time and time again to be utterly impossible for the majority of British people to understand - so expecting migrants to understand it basically expects them to be more educated than our woefully undereducated population. Perhaps that's why our people vote in this sort of politics.

Men and women literally fought for the right to vote to ensure that we were not ruled by the aristocracy and the landed gentry. There is no competency test for standing as candidate in elections or other responsibilities such as becoming a parent, so why should there be to vote?

The government has so much Influence on the livelihoods of young people, and they have no way on showing their agreement or disagreement with the decisions made.

That 'test' could easily be rigged to stop people of certain ideolgies from voting. And considering how the Conservative party is progressing, it wouldn't be out of character for then.