Should 16 year olds be allowed to vote?

No

They can marry, fight for the country etc, they should have a say

Well no actually. 16 year olds can join the army, but cannot be deployed, and 16 year olds can only marry with parental consent. So they are still under the supervision of adults.

I think you should be able to vote once you're out of compulsory education age - you can't say someone is too immature to take part in voting but mature enough to hold down a full time job and (potentially) not be educated at all any more. It should be one or the other, if someone is mature enough to work full time then they ought to get a say on issues affecting them.

So that would be 16 in Wales and Scotland and 18 in England then, sounds right.

Still very feasible to think 16 year olds would be paying income tax and NI now, plenty go into work and apprenticeships at 16.

I'd be open to 6 year olds voting... would make things interesting!

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/06/give-six-year-olds-the-vote-says-cambridge-university-academic

Voting for the youtuber "for a laugh" is pretty immature, but there are plenty of adults who voted Conservative in the last election not because they had read the Tory manifesto and were impressed by the policies but because they liked Boris Johnson for equally superficial reasons. Not all Conservative voters, obviously, but a depressingly high number.

No. DS16 is really hoping the YouTuber in the running for London mayor gets in because his main manifesto point is to reduce Cadbury Freddie to 5p. He thinks it's hysterical.

I'm sure there are lots of very sensible and informed 16yr olds but there's also a lot of immature ones like my DS who would vote for cheap Freddos for a laugh.

Sorry OP, you don’t say what country you are in. Obviously in some countries this is already the case.

No. 18 is fine. If anything I think the voting age should be raised.

Yes. They already do here in Scotland and at every election I’m impressed by how articulate, informed and passionate so many of them are. It’s absolutely something the rest of the the U.K. should adopt.

No. I agree that they shouldn’t be able to do this. Some of them are very active and interested in politics, social and environmental issues and it’s great. They can gain experience and vote at 18. Why rush? And I don’t think that it’s necessary for them to marry or fight for the country at this age however I’m sure some of them are able to do this.

I remember at 16 paying income tax and NI on my part time wages and being very frustrated I had no influence on how the government spent it.

You don't pay income tax, or NI on part time wages. The government don't tax 16 year olds on their part time earnings. Your tax allowance is currently £242 per week - any less than that you do not pay any tax at all.

Yes, my 16 yo spent quite a bit of time looking at the different party leaflets and websites and quizzing DH on the system in Scotland. Probably did more research than lots of older adults. They can marry, fight for the country etc, they should have a say.

No. Keep it at 18.

Yes.

Their brains may still be developing and they might not have an in depth knowledge of the idealogical differences underpinning the main parties or the different roles and responsibilities of local and national government but nor do many adults.

I've listened to so many vox pops where grown men and women give completely fatuous reasons for voting for one party or another that I really despair.

Turnout for national elections is depressingly low and for local elections is even worse. Maybe if 16 year olds were allowed to vote while many of them are still enthusiastic - albeit naive and oversimplistic - some of them might catch the voting habit and might stick with it.

I’d be interested to know the turnout figures for 16/17 year olds in Wales, Scotland, Jersey, Guernsey etc

Most of the 16/17 year olds I know are more engaged in issues that impact their future than many adults!

My 16yo dd voted here in Wales and was proud to do so.

Yes.

I remember at 16 paying income tax and NI on my part time wages and being very frustrated I had no influence on how the government spent it.

I think at 16 you are old enough to be able to make a reasoned decision and can understand the consequences.

God No. Most of DD's friends are shouty, belligerent, blinkered, unreasonable and unreasoning young people. That's fine. That's what they are at that age, but reasoned enough to vote on policies not politics, no.

I actually think the voting age should be raised, not lowered. Even most 18 year olds are too inexperienced and immature to vote.

No way.

I'd even have the age as old as 23 (and raise the age of the armed services etc.)

Have you listened 16 year olds try to argue and reason?

Yes and if we don’t because they are children then they shouldn’t be allowed to have sex, get married, live alone etc

No. They are not adult and don't have enough life experience of many of the issues to make a reasoned choice.

Neither do many adults, sadly, but there's not much you can do about that.

I think voting should be restricted to legal adults. As should serving in the armed forces, marriage, driving and anything that involves someone needing to enter into a contract.

Absolutely agree with this.