Should the voting age be lowered to 16? -Sarah Iqbal, JAGS

To weigh the pros and cons of this question, let’s first dive into what 16-year-olds can do. From the age of 16, a person has the right to choose. This includes leaving school and working full time, while your National Insurance number will be sent to you. You can change your name, apply for a debit card, give your consent, and even get married (with your parents’ permission).

In terms of legal matters, you can be prosecuted for engaging in sexual activity with someone under the age of 16, as well as neglecting a child who should have been in their care.

It is clear that at the age of 16, a teenager has many responsibilities and is trusted to be more actively involved! If a person can marry with their parents’ permission, should they also be able to vote with their parents’ permission? In today’s world, teenagers hold many political views and are much more knowledgeable and interested in the events that will shape the future. For example, in relation to Brexit, the UK public voted 51.89% in favor of the move. It highlights how important decisions are made and the huge impact that voting has on certain decisions, decisions that interest large numbers of teenagers. However, 75% of 18-24 year olds actually voted to remain in the EU, but there were more votes for the latter. If 16-year-olds were also allowed, who knows how the votes would change, as more people can express their opinion. Apparently, 1.89% more citizens voted for Brexit. The Brexit decision will affect the new generations the most, as they will have to live most of their lives under this new rule.

If it is assumed that students have the ability to choose the A-levels that will lead to their final degree and, by extension, their career in life, it can be argued that they should be able to contribute to matters that will also affect their means. to existence!

However, there are different views. For example, 16-year-old Trisha Arora of JAGS herself said, “People our age shouldn’t be allowed to vote until they’re 18 because there’s a lot of growing up to do. We may think we are quite capable, but in my opinion we need those 2 years before the age of 18 to mature to the point where we can make important decisions about what and who to vote for.’

It is said that the brain does not fully mature until the age of 25, so looking at this, you can understand how young a person at 16 really is. 16-year-olds can also be influenced by their parents, which reduces the validity of votes as they can be biased. There is also the question of “when will it end?” 15-year-olds may find that the age limit for them should be lowered, and this may continue to cause social chaos among the younger generations.

There is a lot of debate on this topic, but it doesn’t look like the laws will change anytime soon. Do you think the voting age should be changed or is it an appropriate age to leave?