Voting age regulations for local elections, which includes elections to the Scottish Parliament, is currently reserved, but the Government has been agitating for this power to be devolved. 

Speaking at the Electoral Reform Society’s ‘STV One Year On’ conference in Edinburgh, Crawford said the Government would introduce voting at 16 for Health Board elections if that legislation is passed by the Scottish Parliament. 

“It is the responsibility of us all to get young people interested in the democratic process.  We cannot on the one hand say we are interested in the views of young people while on the other refusing them access to the ballot box until they are 18. While 16 year olds can pay taxes, get married or serve in the armed forces, they effectively have to bite their lip when it comes to decisions that will affect them. At the very point that society expects young people to assume many of the responsibilities that come with adulthood it is only right that they also get the right to vote.  That is why I am happy to announce the Scottish Government's support for reducing the voting age to 16 for local government elections as a starting point.   

“Later this month Ministers will present to Parliament the Health Board (Membership and Elections) Bill.  We plan that the Bill extend the franchise for the pilot health board elections to include those aged 16 and over.  If Parliament supports that proposal, young people will have their vote in an area in which the Scottish Parliament has competence.    

" But as with so much of Scotland's electoral legislation, reducing the voting age for other elections is a matter reserved to Westminster.  I can see no good reason why the voting age for elections in Scotland should not be decided in Scotland by our own democratically elected Parliament representing the people of Scotland. That is why I call upon the UK Government to transfer responsibility for the electoral franchise to the Scottish Parliament.”