Why would anyone think 16 year-olds should be allowed to vote?

[MsAmerica]

Be honest - think back to when you were 16. Did you have an understanding of a broad range of issues? Did you pay serious attention to national news? Okay, even many adults may lapse on the score, but still, it seems crazy to me.

In the U.S., voting age had been 21 and the only reason it was lowered to 18 was that teens were being drafted to fight in Vietnam, and it was felt as unfair for them to have no say.

I think it is a good idea, as the demographic's are increasingly weighted towards an aging population, it levels the playing field a wee bit to increase the number of young people that get to vote. Policies are currently too heavily skewed to appeasing the older generation as there are not enough younger voters.

That is an interesting thought.

Labour perhaps doesn't know that many schools ran mock general elections last year and Reform won in quite a few schools, mainly because a bunch of immature boys thought it would be funny. Also, Nigel Farage is big on TikTok.

You don't need parental consent to marry in Scotland at 16 or 17 currently.
That doesn't mean I think any 16 year old should though.

At 16 I was well informed, invested, and acted accordingly. My 14 yo is more informed and thoughtful than most adults.

And policies will affect children for longer than anyone else.

I was v engaged in politics at 16. No life experience and so not v realistic, but that’s hardly the preserve of teens.

Plus, all the data indicates that if they’d been able to vote in the referendum brexit would not have happened, and if that’s not a good reason to lower the voting age, I don’t know what is.. it should benefit housing policy going forward, as well as the environment.

Because they will be living with the consequences of the decisions the politicians make? And they will have to bear the cost of the neglect of the planet that is being committed for longer than any other voters.
Of course they should have a say.

Ten year olds will have to live with the consequences even longer than sixteen year olds. Should they be allowed to vote?

Just look at all the threads on MN where 16/17 yos aren't thought capable of being home alone, catching a train alone, keeping their rooms in a decent state, being civil to their parents, or even not being abusive to their parents...

Yes, I was very politically engaged. Equally I know 40 year olds who are completely clueless.
I’m very much in favour.

Teens these days are much more aware of political issues. Sure you’ll get some who are totally clueless but tbh they’re probably the ones who’ll still be clueless at 30.

The world is changing so fast and in ways that older people (me included) don’t understand. I’m not saying give them total control by any means but we need a young fresh voice alongside the old & wise.

I’m not sure my 16 yr old is less ignorant on political affairs than the vast majority of adults in this country. In fact I know that she’s not.

People who are claiming that teens are really aware of political issues have never had to do a weekly current affairs quiz with them.

I’m in favour of it.

I'm 67 years old, and I worry whether 90% of the voting population should be allowed to vote. Right now, I think I'd be fine with 5 year olds voting. Right now I think I'd be fine with 5 year olds in Parliament. They couldn't possibly make more of a mess of it than the current lot (and I mean all of them)/

Do one on the street. I guarantee they are just as (ill) informed as adults.

@NatashaGurdin you absolutely can get married at 16 in Scotland

You can have sex legally, leave home, leave school, get a job.. I think all that indicates we think 16 year olds are young adults, so no reason they shouldn’t vote.

Yes 16 year olds can be knowledgable about politics but that doesn’t mean they have the depth of experience about everyday life - paying household bills, shopping, owning or renting property, driving, the slog of working and paying tax, having dependents or taking care of yourself etc.

Most 16 years, quite rightly, live at home with parents, and yes they might froth at the mouth about ’right on’ issues, but actually their responsibility as citizens is to finish their education and learn about living in community, empathy and seeing all sides of an issue.

So no. I would not give 16 year olds the vote. It’s a terrible idea.

To be honest, I know a lot of 17 year olds who have a better understanding of the political situations around the world than many over 70s do.
It's their future more than mine or my parents' generation.
I suspect that those with a genuine interest will vote. Many won't bother unless it's through a poll on Instagram.

At 16 you are literate and logical enough to read and understand politics enough to engage, two years more of literacy or education won't make any difference to that.

The idea that children are impulsive or not mature is true in that their impulsivity isn't under control until mid 20s adulthood but it's linked to peer acceptance and exploration of boundaries, not anonymous political decisions in sad little polling stations.

I think young people are very discerning and to say most people don't have the wherewithal at 16 to have a good understanding of what is right and wrong and their fundamental beliefs is unfair. They might not be political experts but you don't have to be that to vote at other ages so why 16?

Yes I have. And yes they are.

Do you have a plan to deal with the over 18s who aren't politically literate?

You must teach very different children to my school then.

I knew a lot about politics when I was 16 as my family were very political. I would have been fine voting and it would have been meaningful and well informed. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of people aged 18+ who have no clue. Yet we still let them vote don’t we?

Those saying ‘they don’t know anything, it’ll be a disaster’ - I wouldn’t worry. Those who don’t know anything will most likely not vote, like the millions of adults who choose not to engage with politics or think it doesn’t apply to them and say things like ‘I don’t like any of them’ or ‘they’re all the same anyway’.

Not the point of the post but you can’t get married at 16 anymore.

Most of the young people they interviewed on tv today said they wouldn't vote anyway.

It depends on the young person though. In 1987 I was 15 and went to the general election count. It was incredibly long and boring.