UK Labour Plans Compulsory Voting, Lowers Voting Age to 16

In the UK, Labour peer Lord George Foulkes is advocating for compulsory voting to address low electoral turnout, which fell below 60% in the 2024 general election. He plans to propose an amendment to the upcoming Elections Bill, arguing that a £20 fine could incentivize participation and citing Australia's successful compulsory voting system as a model, where turnout regularly exceeds 90%. The Labour Government also intends to lower the voting age to 16 and implement automatic voter registration (AVR) using existing government data to modernize the voter registration process and include millions currently unregistered. The AVR initiative is expected to significantly reshape Britain's political landscape by increasing voter participation, particularly among younger and underrepresented groups. In contrast, Louisiana is preparing to eliminate the “Independent Party” designation by converting those voters to “No Party” status ahead of its switch to closed primaries in 2026, aiming to reduce confusion and streamline party affiliation ahead of elections. Meanwhile, in India, opposition leaders have threatened to boycott upcoming Bihar state assembly elections, criticizing the Election Commission's voter list revision as politically biased and alleging it serves the ruling coalition’s interests, underscoring concerns about electoral integrity in the country.