Young Campaigner Award
Emily Crudden McIlhatton
Campaigns Organiser Emily Crudden McIlhatton.
Emily Crudden McIlhatton’s “Votes at 16 Northern Ireland” campaign is committed to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to have their voice heard in our democracy.
The Campaign
Politics in Action recruited Emily Crudden McIlhatton and the youth-led campaign group in April 2024, and they formally launched the campaign in September 2024. Their Launch Conference hosted world leading experts on Votes at 16, including Dr. Jan Eichhorn of the University of Edinburgh, whose research highlighted the increase in voter turnout and the positive voter behaviours associated with lowering the age of voting. The launch conference was the first of its kind in over a decade in the UK, bringing together young people from across the four nations, policymakers, politicians and educators to discuss the importance of votes at 16, and how we can drive participation in democracy. The youth-led campaign is now spearheaded by over 40 fantastic young people who have attended countless events, lobbied their elected representatives and developed strategies with policymakers, academics and most importantly, other young people.
Politics in Action’s Votes at 16 Campaign Group Meeting with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Sir Hilary Benn MP, Photograph taken by Neil Harrison Photography, 19th December 2024.
The recognition of our campaign by the SMK National Campaigner Awards is a commendation to the fantastic work the young people and our staff team at Politics in Action have put in over the last few years. The hard work and dedication of our young people should be recognised and celebrated as having contributed to a healthier and more inclusive democracy in the UK.”
Emily Crudden McIlhatton
Campaigns Organiser, Politics in Action
The Change
The UK government confirmed “sixteen year olds will be given the right to vote in all UK elections as part of seismic changes to modernise UK democracy.” On Wednesday 16th July 2025, Democracy Classroom, in collaboration with Politics in Action, launched The Roadmap to Votes at 16 in Parliament alongside Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Democracy, Rushanara Ali MP. The “Roadmap to Votes at 16” sets out a shared, UK wide vision for the successful implementation of Votes at 16 across the UK.
On Thursday 17th July 2025 the Government announced that they will grant 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections through electoral reforms. Emily welcomes this commitment by the government, alongside other reforms such as Automatic Voter Registration and widened voter ID requirements. She says, “These reforms will go far to remove barriers to voting and increase participation in our democracy.”
On 12th February 2026, the Government officially introduced legislation to Parliament to enfranchise 16- and 17-year-olds through their Representation of the People Bill. 16- and 17-year-olds are expected to vote for the first time in England in 2028 and in Northern Ireland in 2029.
The Future
Although Emily is “delighted to see the Government’s commitment to lowering the voting age”, she says her work is not finished. “A key component of our campaign since its inception is the provision of high quality civic and political education for all young people, so that every individual can access an impartial, inclusive, knowledge-rich and engaging democratic education.”
Emily and Politics in Action will continue to petition the Department for Education to provide the scope for such an education, consulting key stakeholders to determine what this education should look like, and to understand what tools and support young people need to effectively exercise their democratic rights.
Who else was involved?
Key staff at Politics in Action led the campaign including Emily Crudden McIlhatton, Campaigns Organiser and Paul Smyth, Executive Director. The campaign partnered with numerous organisations in Northern Ireland who supported lowering the voting age. These included Voicing the Void, Migrant Democracy Project, Beat Carnival, SSUNI, Friends of the Earth NI, St Peters Immaculata Youth Club, Diverse Youth NI, Northern Ireland Youth Forum, Include Youth, Start360, Children’s Law Centre, Children in Northern Ireland, NUS/USI, Climate Craic, Act Now, Involve NI, Girlguiding Ulster, Catholic Guides of Ireland, Belfast YMCA, Ecojustice Ireland, and National Children’s Bureau.
