Millions to join the polls as voting age lowered to sixteen

Think tank hails biggest reform to electoral system in 50 years

- 

Ministers have confirmed that 16 and 17-year-olds will be given the right to vote in the next general election, in what has been branded the biggest shakeup of the electoral system since the 1960s.

Labour's manifesto committed the party to lowering the voting age for parliamentary elections to 16, in line with Scottish and Welsh elections.

But plans announced on Thursday go further in an effort to increase participation in elections, with vows to "modernise our democracy".

Ministers have proposed introducing automated voter registration, which is already used in Australia and Canada, and making UK-issued bank cards an accepted form of ID at polling stations.