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Should the voting age across the UK be lowered to 16?

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Original post by RF_PineMarten
I wish people would just shut up with this argument. It's fine to not want it lowered to 16, but if you're not going to lower it then it should stay exactly where it is, at 18 where you're a legal adult with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it. There is absolutely no good reason for it to be any higher than that.

Leave my vote alone thank you very much.


Lack of experience of the real world is a very good reason for the voting age to be increased, in my view.
Original post by Less(e/o)n
Lack of experience of the real world is a very good reason for the voting age to be increased, in my view.


Legal adults should have the right to vote and influence politics as it all has an impact on their life and future, and it is their democratic right to do so. What you're proposing would just allow politicians to completely screw young people over even further and ignore their concerns. Democracy has got absolutely nothing to do with "life experience" or how qualified you are, it's a right everyone has, and the line is understandably drawn at 18 when you're an adult.

You'd have to raise the voting age to something ridiculous like 30 if you want voters to have "life experience".
Original post by Less(e/o)n
Lack of experience of the real world is a very good reason for the voting age to be increased, in my view.


The average 18 year old doesn't really have any more 'real world experience' though.

Also, define RWE? What does that mean to you?
I suppose there's an argument for it if 16 year olds are both able to pay tax and earn minimum wage, and legally allowed to join the army, leave home and/or have a baby. All very 'adult' things, really. If you compare these two lists:

http://www.youthoria.org/home/life/rights/what-can-i-do/1238766894.723/
http://www.youthoria.org/home/life/rights/what-can-i-do/1238766403.391/

There's not a huge amount of particularly important new things at 18. Imo if you're legally allowed to join the army start your training for killing people for the government then you should perhaps be allowed to have some sway over who you're actually shooting.

Original post by FlintofBavaria
Absolutely not. I've just turned 18 and even now, after studying politics for nearly two years I think many people at this age have no clue about politics and shouldn't vote, so why should even less experienced children, not even legally adults have the right to say about the countries future?


I'm not sure if "THE YOUNG HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT POLITICS REEE" is really valid when you consider my mum and grandmother are both legally eligible to vote, even though one of them knows less than me about politics (And I'm not even that great with it tbh) and the other is in the early stages of alzheimer's and keeps calling her cat a dog. Also eligible to vote is my uncle who believes the earth is flat. It's pretty clear that actual knowledge isn't a prerequisite. I doubt dumb 16 year olds will do any worse than everybody else.

Original post by Less(e/o)n
Lack of experience of the real world is a very good reason for the voting age to be increased, in my view.


What I've experienced for the past 19 years has in fact NOT been the real world, but instead I have actually been a brain in a vat being fed a simulation through a computer the whole time. Right?
Original post by Retired_Messiah
What I've experienced for the past 19 years has in fact NOT been the real world, but instead I have actually been a brain in a vat being fed a simulation through a computer the whole time. Right?


I see. How might you convince an empiricist (such as myself) of this?
Yes, let us lower the voting age to teenagers who have been taught politics from a text-book.
I’ve said this on site a few times but I’m not in favour of this. Voting at 16 May cause a slippery slope of things, and not many 16 year old will be taxed on their earnings at that point. With Education being compulsory in some way or form and the fact that you are legally considered an adult at 18, I think voting should remain there as such (voting is probably the least significant way to make a political statement anyway)
No 17 not 16. People have such a ****ing stupid fetishisation with ages like '16', '18', '21'. 17 is much better, people will have either started sixth form, be in an apprenticeship or be at college. All of these increase independence/independent learning. Many will have started to learn to drive, again added responsibility. Most people I know changed the most at ages 16-18, in my opinion its perhaps the biggest period of maturation. I personally would prefer it to stick at 18 but I'd accept 17. If you used 17 you could poll 17 year olds, and get evidence to suggest whether it would then need to be brought down to 16.
I am definitely opposed to the idea of letting 16 year olds vote. Most people at that age are completely unaware about politics and (as a majority) are too immature. When we had a mock election at school around the time of the last general election, most people voted for UKIP as a joke, I rest my case.

However, if you can consent, join the army and get married at 16 then perhaps you should be also allowed to vote. Although personally I'm against those laws so that argument is invalid for me.
I vote to stop the argument as to "when do people become mature enough" we either keep it as it is or we only allow people who own houses or rent property to vote (or those that are married/engaged) to someone who is since they have a bigger stake in the real world
Original post by Neesaaaa
Most people at that age are completely unaware about politics and (as a majority) are too immature. When we had a mock election at school around the time of the last general election, most people voted for UKIP as a joke, I rest my case.


I would not be using that as an argument. Of course they're going to treat a mock election in school as a joke. It's not a real election, and there are zero consequences.
No because most of them will just vote what there parents tell them to vote
This is absolute lunacy.

The voting age should ideally be 30, or 25.
No of course not. What have been smoking?
Original post by Official House of Commons
In Scotland, 16 and 17 year olds can vote in local and Scottish Parliamentary elections.

Should the rest of the UK also allow votes at 16?

Danielle Rowley, MP for Midlothian, is leading a Westminster Hall debate on equality of voting ages in the UK. You can watch the debate live on Parliament TV from 4pm http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/30447ee1-00b6-4798-bbbf-eff7dffe5b5a


Absolutely not, many 18 year olds lack the life experience to make sensible votes themselves, let alone allowing 16 year olds to do the same. I would actually raise it to 21. Being engaged in politics and actually knowing a thing or two about politics are very different. You can be engaged in politics and be a complete imbecile.
Reply 35
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Original post by ThatGuy89
Absolutely not, many 18 year olds lack the life experience to make sensible votes themselves, let alone allowing 16 year olds to do the same. I would actually raise it to 21. Being engaged in politics and actually knowing a thing or two about politics are very different. You can be engaged in politics and be a complete imbecile.

Given most 21yr olds are just getting pissed every night and trying to get laid at uni... well.
Original post by Napp
Given most 21yr olds are just getting pissed every night and trying to get laid at uni... well.

At 21 most people will be graduating if they went to uni at 18. 18 year olds are more likely to be getting pissed up and getting laid...
Reply 37
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Original post by ThatGuy89
At 21 most people will be graduating if they went to uni at 18. 18 year olds are more likely to be getting pissed up and getting laid...

I'd say it was pretty evenly matched, the point being little has been learnt in the ways of the world between 18-21 (the university bubble being little different from the college bubble)
Original post by Napp
I'd say it was pretty evenly matched, the point being little has been learnt isn the ways of the world between 18-21 (the university bubble being little different from the college bubble)

Mm you're probably right tbh, but I mean how much further could you push the voting age back without being too oppressive? 25? Or maybe home owners only or something, I don't know. All I know is lowering it to 16 is tantamount to national suicide.
Original post by ThatGuy89
Mm you're probably right tbh, but I mean how much further could you push the voting age back without being too oppressive? 25? Or maybe home owners only or something, I don't know. All I know is lowering it to 16 is tantamount to national suicide.

Why? They're paying taxes, they're allowed to be legally employed, but can't influence where their taxes are going or vote to change the employment laws their governed by? That's tyranny.

Voting rights are something that should only be expanded, never reduced, or you can't begin to call yourself a democracy.

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