Democracy minister Florence Eshalomi has set out plans to start building the digital systems needed to give 16- and 17-year-olds the vote, with a £2.8 million advance to get work moving before the Representation of the People Bill becomes law.
In a written statement to Parliament on Thursday 22 October, the Labour MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, who is Minister for Homelessness, Democracy, Communities and Faith, said the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would seek Treasury approval to spend the money ahead of Royal Assent, which the Government expects by spring 2027.
Delivering a manifesto commitment
Florence Eshalomi said the funding had already been provided through the department's spending review settlement and was not new or additional spending. Approval to spend early was needed to begin essential digital work on the manifesto commitment to extend the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds, she said, warning that "deferring this work until after Royal Assent would compress delivery timescales and increase the risk of delays to implementation".
A secure way for young people to register
The money will fund a secure service allowing eligible young people to register to vote using Department for Education data as part of identity checks, alongside work on electoral management systems, the citizen-facing service and the portal used by electoral registration officers.
The minister said the advance would allow the work to progress alongside the Bill's passage through Parliament, "reducing implementation risk and supporting timely delivery", so that councils have an efficient and resilient way to process applications and maintain electoral registers.
Parliamentary approval for the £2.8 million will be sought in a supplementary estimate. Until then, the spending will be met through repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund.
