The Student Room Group

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

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Original post by BlinkyBill
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?

In my view, given the current political landscape and argument surrounding the legitimacy of the 2016 vote and Leave campaign, what matters now is the provision of information for voters. The opposition is too heavily focused on widening the anti-Brexit majority to extend deadlines and prepare for a second referendum that it overlooks the massive problem of misinformation. Three years after the initial referendum, people have begun to question their judgement in a rushed vote over a concept with which not even the government was overly familiar!
Reply 41
No for general elections, local elections etc. which they come around frequently enough.

I'm absolutely for it, for things like referendums which are meant to be once in a generation
Original post by 1st superstar
nah i am her age too a still think that the voting age should stay as 18...


Good, there's hope for us all with today's generation
Original post by Deyesy
No for general elections, local elections etc. which they come around frequently enough.

I'm absolutely for it, for things like referendums which are meant to be once in a generation

Interesting idea..especially since we see how pointless referendums are... :colone:
I fall just the wrong side of the election date which may still not happen but is being considered and thought I would share my perspective...

I am someone who has membership of a political party and am politically engaged as I watch the news daily, check out websites of papers and subscribe and live in a family where it has been the case that we have academically debated politics for as long as I can remember and therefore I feel more aggrieved that people apply a blanket view of underage people on their opinions. Am I annoyed that I’m just on the wrong side - yes. Would I vote for the party my parents do - no as I’m a member of a different one. Personally, however, I think the voting age should stay at 18 as whilst it is an arbitrary number that does not have much bearing on how different you are if you fall on one side or other of the boundary but that isn’t changed by any of the arguments for lowering the age which makes it more nonsensical. Also, from what I have gathered there are some particular reasons as to why it is wanted for the age to be lowered amongst some people and that personally doesn’t sit well with me as it is just manipulating what is done to achieve different results in elections.
Original post by Bang Outta Order
Good, there's hope for us all with today's generation

nah there's no hope for the whole of humanity...
Obviously any comment about those people in the gap of 16-18 being easily swayed by populism etc. applies equally (well, actually more so because the latter can vote) to those of 18+. People mature at different times, and so 18 is arbitrary - yes, so is 16. But it's worth lowering [for now] because this is a time of such crisis, that those inheriting this mess should have some say in it. If they did, they wouldn't have to resort to protesting, which is really the only bit of "democracy" left for them. And people get soo annoyed with protesters.
honestly no. whilst there are a lot of 16 year olds who I am sure hold there own opinion and very intelligent in current affairs, the majority of people I know just support the same as their parents and friends and don't really have any idea about politics whatsoever
sure, but it's not like they *ping* develop their own opinion on their 18th birthday
Original post by ΜΗΔΕΝΑΓΑΝ
Obviously any comment about those people in the gap of 16-18 being easily swayed by populism etc. applies equally (well, actually more so because the latter can vote) to those of 18+. People mature at different times, and so 18 is arbitrary - yes, so is 16. But it's worth lowering [for now] because this is a time of such crisis, that those inheriting this mess should have some say in it. If they did, they wouldn't have to resort to protesting, which is really the only bit of "democracy" left for them. And people get soo annoyed with protesters.

You're right and I think in many cases, 16 year olds are more clued up and much more up to date with world and national events than are, say, over-75s or even over-60s.
Reply 50
As someone who just turned 18, looking back when I was just turning 16 I always listened to my friends and peers political opinions and not my own.
Maybe if schools and colleges taught us about it, then yeah, but as a 17 year old, I know barely anything and think that there is no point as most people either wouldn't vote, or would just vote for whoever their friends/ family were voting for.
i think we should be able to vote. it is our future that the older generations are voting on yet we have no say?
if we were able to vote schools would take educating us on politics more seriously
Original post by 1st superstar
nah there's no hope for the whole of humanity...


Why da magenta fo'
Reply 54
Original post by Bang Outta Order
Stupid and provocative question to ask on a forum full of teenagers. What do you think the answer will be...?


Quite dangerous as well, voting isn't a game but this poll could be very influential yet it was posed...to a bunch of kids. Considering the demographic of the site it's quite unfair. For instance, YouTube and reddit and quora would have a different idea than tsr ....

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'm not really sure. You could say that a lot of 16 year olds aren't very informed but are very easily swayed, but the exact same applies to 18 year olds, 30 year olds, 45 year olds ... every age group. You could say that the right to vote is more based on position in society, and indeed some people may even argue that as the passage to adulthood is generally happening later now it should be raised back to 21. So probably best to keep it at 18.
Original post by Bang Outta Order
Stupid and provocative question to ask on a forum full of teenagers. What do you think the answer will be...?


Quite dangerous as well, voting isn't a game but this poll could be very influential yet it was posed...to a bunch of kids. Considering the demographic of the site it's quite unfair. For instance, YouTube and reddit and quora would have a different idea than tsr ....


Quora is essentially the big brother of TSR
Original post by BlinkyBill
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?


I just heard that Labour are now pushing for the vote for 16+ in their manifesto
Reply 58
Original post by toedchicken1989
i think we should be able to vote. it is our future that the older generations are voting on yet we have no say?
if we were able to vote schools would take educating us on politics more seriously

Governmental policies cover short- and long-term issues for all generations, so it's not just 'your' future that's affected. Why should education on politics come from schools? Apart from the massive amount of time it could take up on the curriculum, if you want the vote, what's wrong with doing your own research and some critical thinking? That's what young people have to do for deciding their options and job interviews, so why not for voting?
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

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