Information » Your World » Politics » The Right to Vote
In This Section
The Right to Vote
Your vote is your formal expression of who you would like your local MP to be and which political party you would like to see in power.
- In the UK, anyone can register to vote at 16 years of age but you have to be 18 years of age to vote in national elections. By registering to vote you are included in the electoral register at your home address
- As a UK citizen, you have a right to vote but you can choose not to
- Some people vote for their MP because they represent issues that they are passionate about and would like to see something happen in their local area
- Some people vote for an MP based on the political party that they represent and which party they would like to see in power in the country
- Your right to vote is important because it is your chance to alter the way in which your country is governed. For more information go to UK Politics
- People did not always have equal voting rights in the UK and struggled in to gain these rights and freedoms, for example, women were first given the vote in the UK in 1918, and this was only for women over the age of 30. Women were allowed to vote on the same terms as men in 1928
Voting in Wales
- In Wales, you vote for who you would like to be your local MP, but you also vote for an Assembly Member
- See Welsh Politics section for more information
