Question reference: S5W-01427
- Asked by: Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 13 July 2016
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Current status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 27 July 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 18 voted in the last Scottish parliamentary election and what representations it will continue to make to the UK Government that 16 should be the voting age for all UK elections and referenda.
Answer
Due to the secrecy of the ballot, information on voting patterns is not centrally recorded. The Electoral Commissions report on the Scottish Parliamentary Election, due in September 2016, may give further information on voter participation, which they gather from their own surveys.
The Scottish Government continues to make representations to the UK Government that 16 should be the voting age for all elections, having legislated for those elections which it had the power to do so.