when was the uk voting age lowered to 18
1969
title: Voting age text: voting age. Many countries, particularly in Western Europe, reduced their voting ages to 18 years during the 1970s, starting with the United Kingdom (1969), with the United States (26th Amendment) (1971), Canada, West Germany (1972), Australia (1974), France (1974), and others following soon afterwards. By the end of the 20th century, 18 had become by far the most common voting age. However, a few countries maintain a voting age of 20 years or higher. It was argued that young men could be drafted to go to war at 18, and many people felt they should be able to vote at title: Representation of the People Act 1969 text: the Sixth Reform Act. The United Kingdom general election, 1970 (18 June) is the first in which this Act had effect. Representation of the People Act Representation of the People Act 1969 The Representation of the People Act 1969 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It extended suffrage to 18- to 20-year-olds. Previously, only those 21 or over were permitted to vote. Votes were extended to undergraduate students in their university town following an appeal to the High Court led for the National Union of Students by the Junior Common Room (JCR - official undergraduate student title: Elections in the United Kingdom text: making men and women equal in terms of suffrage for the first time. The Representation of the People Act 1949 abolished additional votes for graduates (university constituencies) and the owners of business premises. The Representation of the People Act 1969 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. The Representation of the People Act 1985 gave British citizens abroad the right to vote for a five-year period after they had left the United Kingdom. The Representation of the People Act 1989 extended the period to 20 years; and citizens who were too young to vote when they left the country title: History of the Constitution of the United Kingdom text: Life Peerages Act 1958 allowed the creation of life peers which gave the Prime Minister the ability to change the composition of the House of Lords. Between 1832 and 1928, numerous Acts of Parliament repealed voting restrictions and expanded the franchise from just 5% of the adult population to universal suffrage for all male and female adults aged 21 and over. The Representation of the People Act 1969 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. William Ewart Gladstone's UK Midlothian campaign between 1878-80 began the move towards modern political campaigning. In 1912, the House of Lords managed to delay title: Voting age text: of the "Representation of the People Act 1918" which also allowed some women over the age of 30 to vote. The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 brought the voting age for women down to 21. The reduction of the voting age to 16 in the United Kingdom was first given serious consideration on 15 December 1999, when the House of Commons considered in Committee an amendment proposed by Simon Hughes to the "Representation of the People Bill". This was the first time the reduction of a voting age below 18 had ever been put to a vote