Young Welsh voters say political education falls short, government review finds

Mark Mansfield

Young people in Wales say they are reaching voting age without enough political education to make informed choices, according to a Welsh Government-commissioned review.

Researchers examining the extension of Senedd voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds found that most young participants considered their political education insufficient, with some describing it as non-existent.

Some recalled little more than a brief assembly explaining that they could vote. Others said they only discovered they were eligible after the registration deadline or election day.

The review, published on November 5, found support for extending voting rights but warned that eligibility alone did not necessarily translate into meaningful participation.

One participant, a 16–17-year-old girl from east Wales, said: “I think it needs to be taught in schools. I just think people are so uneducated. Like, they’ve allowed us to vote, but there’s nothing to back that.”

Thinks Insight & Strategy conducted the research as part of a statutory review of provisions introduced by the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020.

It examined voting rights for young people and qualifying foreign citizens, alongside candidacy rights and restrictions on councillors simultaneously serving as Senedd Members.

The study combined existing research and electoral data with interviews involving 20 young people aged 16 to 21, 22 foreign citizens, six councillors and ten stakeholders.

The researchers stress that the interview sample was small and selected to capture different experiences. Its findings cannot establish how widespread those experiences are across Wales.

Among young participants, family political engagement strongly influenced confidence and understanding. Some described following their parents’ preferences, while those from less politically engaged households could struggle to know where to begin.

One boy aged 16–17 in north Wales said: “Coming into this [research], I had literally no idea about it because my family don’t really take an interest. It’s not really like an everyday chat. I feel like learning it in different places would be much better to like help people decide whether to vote or not.”

Participants wanted impartial explanations of parties, policies and voting procedures, beginning before they reached voting age and reinforced through more than one session.

They also wanted clearer links between politics and everyday concerns, rather than assuming young people already understood why elections mattered.

Social media was an important source of information, particularly TikTok and Instagram, but participants recognised its limitations.

An 18–21-year-old woman from the South Wales Valleys said: “I would say all of the information I get for voting is from social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and I feel like there’s a problem in that because the videos are short, they’re snappy, they don’t hold your attention when these subjects should have more information.”

Some participants said online political content focused on England rather than Wales, adding to confusion about which policies applied to them.

The report concludes that communication must go beyond explaining voting rights and help people understand the system and find reliable information.

It says a single national information campaign is unlikely to be sufficient, highlighting the importance of teachers, families and trusted organisations.

The findings also identify positive effects. Young people and foreign citizens described how political rights could strengthen their sense of belonging and give them a voice in Welsh society.

However, the researchers say available evidence cannot yet establish whether the reforms have produced sustained increases in participation.

They also warn against directly comparing youth registration figures from 2021 and 2026, because the newer figures have incomplete coverage and accuracy concerns.

The review says: “Young people can know they can vote without understanding the different options presented by political parties or what their votes will actually go towards deciding.”