Votes at 16 and more?

 Here are 20 additional electoral reform ideas that build on the UK’s recent democratic overhaul and could further modernize participation, transparency, and fairness:

1. Civic Tech Integration

  • Introduce secure online voting pilots for overseas voters and disabled citizens.

  • Use blockchain or end-to-end encryption to ensure vote integrity.

2. Proportional Representation Trials

  • Launch regional pilots using systems like Single Transferable Vote (STV) or Additional Member System (AMS) to assess public response and fairness.

3. Consolidated Electoral Law

  • Replace fragmented statutes with a single Representation of the People Act, simplifying administration and legal clarity.

4. Constituency Redrawing via Census

  • Base boundary changes on census data(!) rather than the electoral register to better reflect population shifts and include unregistered citizens. And prevent civil service gerrymandering eg Thanet South repeated boundary changes

5. Mandatory Voter Education Curriculum

  • Embed nonpartisan civic education in secondary schools, with mock elections, lies, nincompoops and debates to build lifelong engagement.

6. Independent Electoral Oversight Body

  • Establish a nonpartisan watchdog with investigative powers to monitor campaign finance, misinformation, and foreign interference.

7. Election Complaints Tribunal

  • Create a fast-track tribunal for resolving voter complaints—e.g., missing postal ballots or ID issues—within 72 hours.

8. Donation Caps & Transparency

  • Introduce donation limits per individual or entity and require real-time disclosure of contributions over £1,000.

9. Digital Ballot Tracking

  • Allow voters to track their postal ballots online to confirm receipt and counting, boosting trust and turnout. Limits on Postal/Early votes

10. Inclusive Franchise Review

  • Launch a cross-party commission to explore:

    • Voting rights for prisoners

    • Residence-based voting for long-term UK residents

    • Commonwealth vs. EU citizen eligibility/EU votes



  • 11. Parliament Conduct Handbook:     fines for misreporting expenses etc, election rerun if swap parties, Contempt of Parliament process for P&O, Ministers etc

    12. Same day vote count     eg £3BN KCC council uncounted ballots stored in council office overnight(!)

    13. Manifestos issued 30 days before election: vague terms eg working to improve xyz area banned
14. Parachute Candidate Ban ie party HQ carpetbagger drones dropped into an area with a rented flat for 3 months then disappear: 5 year living/work connection required

15. Ban on multiple political roles eg MP, councillor, mayor, JP, PCC etc: MP only

16. Ban on Police staff in PCC office - absurd conflict of interest

17. Specific Electoral and Military courts for oversight

18. Nincompoop MP ban: parliament cross-party vote on worst 10 MPs each year and rerun: Whateley? Philp? Torsten?

19. Votes at 16 - but MP ban until 30: life experience not 6th form politics and skoolboy errors. Age 75 cap as juries etc: too many duffers.

20. Dynasty caps: too many relatives as MPs eg Miliblands, Kinnocks, Gray boy etc: one per party. Lords caps on old politicians: 50 per party and Hereditary cull. Political inbreeding and Nincompoopery.

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