16 and 17-year-olds can now register to vote in next year's Senedd elections

Credit: PA

Young people aged 16 and 17 can now register to vote in Senedd and council elections in Wales.

It comes into force as part of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act which was passed last year.

An Electoral Commission survey found that 75% of 16 and 17-year-olds voted in the Scottish independence referendum.

Now in Wales, 16 and 17-year olds can now register to vote in next year's Senedd election. The move means young people in Wales will now be able to have a say in devolved issues such as health, education and the economy.

The Health Minister Vaughan Gething said it gives young people a ''voice in democracy''.

Next year’s Senedd elections, which are due to take place next Spring, will be the first in which 16 and 17-year-olds and legally resident foreign nationals will be allowed to vote in Wales.

The Electoral Reform Society, an organisation that campaigns for voting reform in the UK, said it is a ''victory for young people'':