Should 16-year-olds be able to vote? The 2019 edition.

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With a general election seemingly not too far away, conversation has turned to that age old question - should 16-year-olds be able to vote?

An article by the BBC today says there's not enough time to lower the voting age before the election, but we wanted to hear your thoughts anyway!

We asked you this same question back in 2013, and back then it seemed like most of you thought it was fine to stay at 18.

How do you feel, six years later?

Should 16-year-olds be able to vote?

As a 16 year old myself, I might be slightly biased, but yes, I think we should be able to vote. We're the ones who will have to live with the consequences of what is voted for the rest of our lives, to be honest I don't see why we shouldn't be able to vote when there are 80-90 year olds out there who probably will not be affected in the slightest by the vote, but still have the option..... I'm not saying don't give elderly people the option to vote but if you will give them the option then you might as well give it to us as well, especially when it's our futures which are going to ruined if Brexit goes ahead. 16 year old's are also less impressionable and politically unaware than people seem to think, we have opinions to and as I said before the result of the vote will have a bigger effect on our lives than some of the people who can vote.... As I said before I might be biased (but who isn't), but that doesn't in anyway change my opinion.

Reply 61

Zoqua

Original post by snazzy viking

I'm 16 and I'm strongly against votes at 16 as I just don't think people my age are old enough to have really experienced what effect politics has on our society, e.g. taxes and jobs

You clearly don't know many people of our age then (or if you do they're not the kind of people I know). Our generation are actually generally a lot more politically aware than some of the more senior generations of voters.... We may not have been old enough to experience these effects for ourselves but that doesn't mean we don't know that they exist....

Reply 62

londonmyst

No.
18 is the right age to vote.
18 to be considered an adult in the eyes of the law; 18 to be bound by a contract and 18 to buy cigarettes & alcohol.

Reply 63

Vinny C

Any unfair weapon should be use to oppose Brexit. It is, after all... how the ***** won in the first place. And when you get some prick saying the nation overwhelmingly voted to... Brexiteer liar alarm!!!

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 64

Rakas21

Original post by Zoqua

One could argue that you need experience and maturity to put that awareness into proper context.

Those who listen to Greta are certainly aware for example but many of them also admit to feeling genuine anxiety over alarmist claims of Armageddon not backed by any credible science. Experience and maturity from those older teach a more measured response and correct scepticism.

Reply 65

Zoqua

Original post by londonmyst

No.
18 is the right age to vote.
18 to be considered an adult in the eyes of the law; 18 to be bound by a contract and 18 to buy cigarettes & alcohol.

But why should we 16 year old's not be allowed to vote when we're just as politically aware, and are being given more social responsibilities... To name just a few of the things we can do, we can consent to sex, get married, get a national insurance number, join trade unions, join the armed forces and apply for a passport which doesn't require parental consent. If we're responsible enough to do all of that then why can't we vote as well? If we're judged to be mature enough to do these things then why shouldn't we be allowed to vote? It's our future in the balance just as much as young adults and more so than many of the older generations.....

Reply 66

C.Goodyear

No, is just further decreasing the knowledge of an already fairly uninformed voting base.

I believe 18 is already quite low because people don't reach full mental maturity until about age 25.

The problem with younger minds is that they are so easily impressionable with analysing things for themselves, teachers, peer groups, parents will determine how they vote.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 67

ANM775

Original post by Glaz

100% should be lowered.

You say that cause you're 16

10 yrs from now I don't think you'd hold that same opinion....

Reply 68

davesantana

lol i bet some kids gonna put on his snap story 'vote for X for the memes' and every1 gonna repost ect

bam next election X party win by 80% majority or whatever lmao.

Reply 69

Zoqua

Original post by Rakas21

While your point might be true, it is the so called 'wisdom' of the older generations that got us into this Brexit mess (with the majority of those who voted to leave the EU being pensioners).... To be honest I wouldn't call the Brexiteers measured in any way whatsoever. We're generally politically and socially aware enough, we have a lot of responsibilities which we have already been given by society (sexual consent, marriage, apply for a passport, leave home, of which only marriage requires parental consent) and we're the ones who are affected a lot more than some of the older generations who can vote. I don't see why 16 & 17 year olds shouldn't be able to vote, when 80-90 year olds can.... I'm not saying don't let them vote I'm saying let us vote as well.

Reply 70

Bang Outta Order

Original post by The Mogg

Well as a pleasant shock to myself and maybe to you as well, No has a fairly big lead so far, maybe there's hope for us all yet.

I haven't bothered looking at the poll yet, didn't feel like getting angry

What are the percentages so far

Original post by Greywolftwo

Quora is essentially the big brother of TSR

Whatever? The fact is that quoras demographic is far more diverse so the outcome of such a poll will perhaps be more ...useful

Reply 71

C.Goodyear

Original post by Zoqua

with the majority of those who voted to leave the EU being pensioners

Rubbish

Reply 72

Isobeldace

I think 16 year olds (in my college anyway) are educated enough on politics and encouraged to look into it enough to make their own informed choice on voting so yes I do think we should be able to.

Reply 73

Lewito

Original post by Bang Outta Order

I haven't bothered looking at the poll yet, didn't feel like getting angry

What are the percentages so far

41.85% - 58.15% in favour of No (it was like 38-62 when I said that, so the lead has gone down a bit since.)

Reply 74

ANM775

Original post by fallen_acorns

One thing to add..

It will 100% happen within the next few decades.

In fact, the next Labour majority goverment will consider it, and trial it. I guarentee it. Its far far to politically tempting to resist, and now that the core ideological objections of the past have died away societally (adult authority over children), there is no reason for Labour not to do it.

I will be pissed off, but it will happen.

You know why they want to legalize it don't you?

because all the young people tend to strongly vote labour and making it legal for them to vote will help labour.

If the 16 year olds were strongly conservatives then they wouldn't do it all.

Reply 75

Vinny C

Original post by Isobeldace

I think 16 year olds (in my college anyway) are educated enough on politics and encouraged to look into it enough to make their own informed choice on voting so yes I do think we should be able to.

Be able to... what? Strangle the pensioners? NHS and Brexit solved at a swoop!

Reply 76

Rakas21

Original post by ANM775

This is literally why Wilson dropped it from 21 to 18.

Reply 77

ANM775

Original post by londonmyst

18 is the right age to vote.
18 to be considered an adult in the eyes of the law; 18 to be bound by a contract and 18 to buy cigarettes & alcohol.

Back when I was a kid it was 16

It seemed preposterous to me to raise it to 18 as it felt like they were stripping people of their rights [even though by time the law changed it didn't effect me] ...but tbh, cigarettes are pretty unhealthy so at this point in time I doubt I would support it being raised back down.

I had my first cigarette at 11.
choked a bit whilst inhaling the first time lol

Reply 78

nulli tertius

It is quite dangerous to young people to extend voting to 16.

In this country, the age of 18 is a bright line.. You are fully an adult at 18. The number of things you cannot do at 18 is miniscule and trivial.

That isn't the case elsewhere. In the USA you cannot become President until you are 35. The drinking age in the USA is 21. Other countries have variable ages for different civic rights and obligations

If you reduce the voting age to 16, then you make it a lot easier to say that parents should have the right to be involved in decisions at university; that young (not inexperienced but young) drivers should be subject to curfews and restrictions; that restrictions on the purchasing of products should extend beyond 18.

If you can vote at 16, 18 ceases to be the age of universal adulthood and just becomes one mark on a gradual scale and not of special significance.

Reply 79

CTLeafez

No.

If anything I’d support raising the voting age to 21.

Then the voting population will have finished Uni or been working full time. Actually have some life experience and perspective rather than being a fresh faced Sixth Former.