YOUNG people aged 16 and 17 could be allowed to vote in local elections in 2022, the Welsh Government has said.
Alun Davies, the Cabinet Secretary, also wants to give non-UK citizens who are ‘living legally in Wales’ the right to vote.
The proposal, if passed by the Assembly, will allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the next local elections which take place in May 2022.
In Scotland, the voting age for the Scottish and local elections have already been lowered to 16.
Mr Davies said the change would affect roughly 70,000 young people living in Wales.
He told the BBC: “I would like to see us moving the franchise to enable younger people to take part in the democratic process.
“I also want people who pay their council tax for example, but who might not be UK citizens to be able to vote.
“We are not just looking at the EU but people from wherever they come from across the world, who live and are resident and who pay taxes in Wales should be part of our democracy.”
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