Should the Voting Age be lowered to 16?
It’s a controversial question that’s forever discussed, there are pros and cons to either option.
Voting is an essential part of the British values of democracy, freedom, and responsibility. Every individual has the right to voice their opinion, and voting provides a way for citizens to make their voices heard in government. This leads us to the divisive question; should the voting age be lowered to 16?
In this article, we will discuss these and allow you to make your own conclusions.
Arguments for lowering the voting age:
Increased political interests
Lowering the age to 16 would allow younger people to spark a passion for politics and ignite an interest at an earlier age. Politicians always moan about young people not being engaged in politics and having no interest at all. But if they are not allowed to vote, why would they care?
Would you care about your football team if you weren’t allowed to attend their matches or watch them on TV? The answer would most likely be no, it’s difficult to have a passion for a subject you cannot engage in.
16 and 17 year olds have the maturity
Some put forward the argument that 16 and 17-year-olds lack the maturity to vote, but you can join the army at this age, drive at 17, change your name and order your own passport. If you’re capable of these responsibilities, then why shouldn’t you be trusted to vote?
If you can take on responsibilities such as those listed above, it arguably takes more responsibility than researching and understanding which political party you would like to vote for.
Not all young people are uninterested in politics
Another argument put forward is that the vast majority of 16 and 17 year olds are not interested in politics, although, you might be surprised. It is true that the younger the demographic, the less of a chance of the individual voting. But, is this a reason to deny them the right to vote?
If 3 of your friends don’t like chocolate, should that mean that you’re not allowed chocolate?
Arguments against lowering the voting age:
The line has to be drawn somewhere
When it comes to voting there has to be a line drawn somewhere, if 16 year olds are allowed to vote, how long before 14 year olds start calling to be able to vote? At the age of 18, you are not legally an adult, you may have adult responsibilities but by law, you are not an adult.
Should only adults be able to vote?
Brain maturity extends well beyond teenage years
Studies have suggested that the brain does not reach full maturity until the age of 25, and the prefrontal cortex at this stage is not fully developed. This is the part of the brain that helps plan and organize your behaviours. It also means that peer pressure is far more effective, meaning the impacts from political parties on young people would be far higher.
Government and politics is a 2 year long A-Level
If it takes 2 years to truly understand the subject of government and politics (as an A-Level!), then it shows that being able to vote is a huge responsibility and takes a long time to gain a strong understanding of whom to vote. A-Levels are also very complex and take a lot of work and intelligence to complete, so not only does it take 2 years to learn, but it also needs a high level of intelligence to sit the exams.
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So, these are the main arguments put forward to allow or deny the voting age to 16.
We would love to find out what you think as well, do you think the voting age should be lowered? Let us know below 👇
