First time votes for 16 and 17 year olds in Wales – what Westminster can learn This week we saw history happen in Wales. After years of ERS Cyrmu campaigning for the rights of 16 and 17 year olds to vote in Wales, the first election with an expanded franchise took... Posted 07 May 2021
My 20 years of campaigning for votes at 16 This is a guest post from Kelly Harris, a qualified youth worker who has worked with children and young people for 20 years across Wales. I still find it hard to believe that it has been... Posted 26 Apr 2021
Campaigners call for Government to back franchise extension across the UK May’s elections will see an exciting democratic first as voters head to the polls: 16 and 17-year-olds in Wales will be able to vote in elections for the Senedd. This exciting breakthrough comes following legislation... Posted 25 Feb 2021
7 democratic developments to watch out for this year What does democracy look like in a pandemic? It’s a question that came up a lot last year – and 2021 seems no different. This year could see some major developments when it comes to... Posted 18 Jan 2021
Top 10 must-read stories from the Electoral Reform Society in 2020 The pandemic has cast its shadow over everything this year – and issues of democracy are no exception. We’ve seen the effects of a super-centralised political system, leading to clashes between the nations and regions... Posted 18 Dec 2020
Building a better democracy – 2020 and the Electoral Reform Society It’s hard to think of a more troubling year in living memory. But the public health crisis has, perhaps counter-intuitively, put issues of democracy at the forefront. The election may feel like a distant memory,... Posted 07 Dec 2020
Teaching politics in our schools should be a necessity not an option Next year’s Senedd election will see 16 and 17 year olds in Wales be able to vote for the first time in our nation’s history. This move has the potential to be game-changing, but when... Posted 03 Nov 2020
16 and 17 year olds have secured the right to vote in Wales 16 and 17 year olds officially secure the right to vote in Wales’ on Monday 1st June, for Senedd elections. Posted 01 Jun 2020
Votes at 16/17: It’s time for a fair and equal franchise across the UK We cannot leave another generation behind. Let’s build a stronger franchise – to start revitalising our democracy and rebuilding trust in politics at last. Posted 07 May 2020
ERS in the Press – January 2020 Following December’s General Election we have continued to make the case for a fairer, proportional voting system, highlighting the warped nature of December’s results and the negative effect of First Past the Post on our... Posted 07 Feb 2020