Force young people to vote in elections, think tank says

‘Young people should be forced to vote in the first election after they turn 18, a centre-left think tank has said.

Making them vote may halt declining election turnouts and could “kick start the habit of a lifetime”, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said.

In 2010, 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted, with the “younger and poorer” least likely to vote, it suggested.

The UK risks “sleepwalking into a more divided democracy” unless there is reform, the IPPR’s Mat Lawrence said.’

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