Letter: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
Wednesday 23rd February 2011, 7:55AM GMT.
As part of our education in citizenship studies at school, we have been discussing the issue of lowering the voting age from 18 to 16.
In our lesson, we worked in groups to address the issue and we would like to express our views and how we are going to campaign about our decision.
Firstly, when we turn 16, we take on a number of other rights such as the right to smoke, the right to marry with parental consent and the right to have sexual intercourse.
If it is legal for us to smoke at the age of 16 then why not let us try something less harmful and more beneficial by voting in the elections?
Secondly, as a group we feel uncomfortable with the fact we will be affected massively when we leave school and start a new life if a new political party was to be elected.
If we were given the chance to vote, we would benefit as we could help determine what will happen in the future so we will not be affected by the party in power.
Finally, we would like to know what you think.
Is it a good idea to lower the voting age to 16 or keep it the same?
It would be appreciated if you could let us know what you think.
Year 11
Idsall School
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As of 1st October 2007 the law for selling tobacco changed. It became illegal for retailers to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 (an increase from 16) in England and Wales. The change in law also came into effect in Scotland from the same date.
Until you’re allowed to buy tobacco and alcohol products, I don’t think you should be voting in elections.
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Despite the fact that if they choose to work when they leave school before they turn 18 they will be forced to pay taxes and NI yet be denied the right to choose which political party best represents their views on how to spend tax collected from them
Double standards abound!
If youngsters are too immature to vote at 16, I’m sure they’re too immature to have sex, smoke, get married or pay taxes too!
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You can pay tax at any age.
Also, they are too immature to marry at 16, which is why they need their parents’ consent to do so.
And judging by STD and unwanted pregnancy rates in teenagers, perhaps they’re too immature to be having sexual intercourse?
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I wouldn’t necessarily disagree, I’m just saying you cannot class a 16 year old as an adult for some things and not others to suit your fancy which is exactly what the various laws do.
Like you say, how come it’s okay for them to have babies and STD’s at 16 which will affect the rest of their lives but they can’t have a drink which will affect them for what? 24 hours including hangover?
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@E! I don’t think it’s double standards or should everything age-related be set at one age?
I think one has to be 13 years old to buy a pet. Shall we make that 16? And is it 21 to drive an HGV Class 1 vehicle – shall we make that 16 as well?
And should we be able to retire and claim state pension at 16?
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Apologies: As of September 2010, 18 year olds can drive HGV Class 1 vehicles (articulated lorries and road trains).
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Please read my comments carefully, I did not say everything had to be age related, I said why is it ok to drastically affect the rest of your life at 16 but not ruin one day with a hangover til you are 18?
It’s all illogical
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No, Personally I think all those age limits you mentioned are too low and allready you cannot smoke at 16, the age was raised to 18.
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The legal age of smoking is actually now 18 I believe but otherwise I see why it is frustrating somewhat that some rights are given at 16 and some at 18. I was part of some 300 young people to be the first non MPs to debate in the House of Commons in 2009 and the voting age was one of the topics. Many Members of Youth Parliament were understandably supportive – one memorable opening included about being able to ‘sleep,marry and have children with the MP but not vote for them’. Added in that some countries with a voting age at 16 are Brazil, Nicaragua & Austria. However, with UKYP and the ‘Value the Vote’ campaign based in the West Midlands we conducted surveys of over 1,500 young people in secondary schools. When asked to name the current PM (Gordon Brown at the time) a resounding number replied George Bush – particularly scary as he wasn’t even US President any longer. What did become apparent from the series of relatively basic questions was that young people had no clear understanding of politics, the political process, its importance or how they can get involved. With the growing nature of pressure groups in the UK and British politics even without the vote the minority of young people who are engaged in politics can be involved with issues they feel strongly about, they can influence decision makers and can make a difference.
But I touched on the key reason why the voting age should NOT be lowered in that past sentence. The MINORITY. Such drastic changes to our democracy are not done for the minority. If young people really want change and a majority want this change then the argument would be different. Maybe with improved Citizenship that will be a matter of when not if. But consistency between schools and counties in Citizenship is, and always has been, extremely patchy and the fight for the voting age must begin here surely.
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You can smoke at 16, it is illegal to BUY tobacco before you’r 18
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But what better way to empower people to learn more about U.K politics than by giving them the vote? it would surely lead to them wanting to know more about the topic in order to make an informed choice on the matter.
The government should represent us all and if we are judged capable enough to pay taxes, surely we should have a say on how that money is spent.
You’re remarks about changes in our democracy being only to benefit the Majority are simply wrong, The government may be elected my the majority but they have a responsibility to represent the country as a whole.
I wholeheartedly agree that changes in the education system should take place. I think it is shocking that such an important part of our society as politics is not a compulsory part of secondary education. The cynic in me wonders if this is just a ploy by the establishment to keep people ignorant and thus keep them in power.
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Thinking back to when I was 16, I do not believe I had the maturity or life experience which would qualify me to make a sensible, informed decision at the voting booth. Neither do I think that anyone else did, with the possible exception of one or two people who did seem to be old before their time.
For sure, the decisions made by voters on polling day affect your immediate future, but even if you’re 16 when a general election takes place, you only have to wait until you’re 20 to get your chance to change things if you don’t like them. It isn’t an eternity. Governments and policies will change every few years for the remainder of your life, so you just have to get used to it.
A line has to be drawn somewhere. If the voting age was reduced to 16, would there be a similar letter from 14 year olds demanding the same rights?
Something else to consider: should the legal age for the right to smoke, marry and have sexual intercourse be raised from 16 to 18?
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And if the demands came from 14 year olds why not 12 or 10 years?
Given how few people actually DO bother to vote (the turn out in the recent by election for Shropshire Council was 3 people out of every 10) adding another trache of people elegible but not bothered would not help matters.
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Just to clear up the smoking issue – from what I can find, it seems that the law is that you can smoke tobacco at 16, but you can’t legally buy it until you’re 18.
So the letter is technically correct.
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Todd
I think the reply to post 3 cleared it up.
laters..
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Thanks Vamperic – I work for the Shropshire Star and just wanted to make sure that everyone knew that the letter was correct, in case they hadn’t seen your comment.
Todd
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i do understand that the majority of you drink smoke and have sex before you reach 16 do you honestly think you have a mature mind at 16 i dont think so somehow even some adults arent mature enough to vote let alone 16 yr olds if u cant abide by the law under 16 how can you prove you will when u are 16
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I’d be interested to see the study that concludes the *majority* of under 16s drinks, smokes and has sex. I would imagine it’s a tiny minority. I’d also suggest that any survey that asks 16s about drinking, smoking and sex also asks ‘sanity check’ questions such as; ‘Have you seen a UFO’, ‘Have you seen a ghost?’ Kids are as prone to gross exaggeration as adults are to misrepresent how much they earn, how much something has cost them etc. Also, punctuation is fun!
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I absolutely support the idea to lower the age of voting to 16 and well done for bringing the debate to the letters page of the Shropshire Star, although, you may not get quite the quality of debate you had in your lesson.
Young people are interested in political issues and are politically active; from climate change to racism, from education to crime. Voting is the fundamental way that we have our say on issues, and I think that at 16, young people are mature enough to be properly listened to.
They should absolutely have the right to add their voices to our debates on issues that will impact on their generation.
Bravo to Year 11 Idsall School!
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I agree that you should have the vote at 16. I actually think with our current voting system that the right to vote is greatly overrated. One vote every 5 years when most of us live in safe seats is not democracy. We need a new system, starting with the referendum in May, then the right to vote might actually have some importance and meaning.
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Do you really think the May referendum will help the country become more democratic? The alternative vote system has just as many drawbacks as the current first past the post system. I hope all those who support AV are supporters of the coalition because that’s what we’ll always have if AV comes in. The least unpopular person to represent constituencies rather than the most popular, some win for democracy when nobody is happy with the result but everybody is not fussed by it – this is not a way to encourage participation.
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Perhaps a 16 to 18 year old should be exempt from paying taxes if working, after all he/she has no voice as to how its used.
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Taxation without representation has been around for a few years.
If you are honest I think you will find that the majority of working stiffs in the UK have no representation either.
Turnout for the 2010 election was 65% so immediately you have 35% of the 18+ population deciding they don’t want representation. Lets just say for the sake of argument the coalition has 60% of the seats, that’s another 26% of the turnout with no voice.
26+35=51% of the population with no choice.
Voting should be mandatory and enforced – try moving to Australia.
For the record I don’t believe 16 year olds should vote. I was 16 once and like most 16 year olds had trouble tying my shoelaces and making simple decisions like whether to get out of bed or not.
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The subject of whether paying taxes is a more valid reason for having the vote than whether an individual can smoke etc is interesting. You can pay tax from 0 if your income is high enough. If we gave a vote to 0 year olds though we’d probably end up with a coalition government formed by Iggle Piggle and the Tombilboos….hold on a minute, considering the outcome of the last election, has someone given the vote to 0 year olds without my knowledge ?
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in reply to “Turnout for the 2010 election was 65% so immediately you have 35% of the 18+ population deciding they don’t want representation.”
That could also be interpreted as they didn’t care who came to power and were happy to accept representation from whomever does care voted in, therefore that 35% is automatically with the ‘winning side’ whichever that is.
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That is a pathetic attempt to justify and validate the apathy that is rampant in our green and pleasant land.
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Thanks…fact remains that both of our interpretations are possibilities. the 35% should vote, but also have a right not to. Making it mandatory to vote would cause other issues, maybe as big a challenge as not having them vote. BTW – I have always and will always vote, people fight for the right every day and have throughout history and I respect that, eve though sometimes it’s a choice between a rock and a hard place.
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Should you be able to vote at 16 no not until you are classed in law as an adult. Again our laws are a little perplexing for many as can be seen in the posts put on here, you can smoke at 16 years as you can drink alcohol however you may not purchase it. Like many of our laws many of them are not understood by joe public.
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Good question and perhaps you should. I speak as the parent of a 17 year old. You’re at an age when you get very passionate and committed to things and have a strong sense of right and wrong.
I know people in their 50′s who don’t have a grasp of what’s going on in politics and just vote the way they think they ought e.g. if they’re working class they vote Labour and vice versa. So perhaps we ought to have a test to see if we should vote at all.
Then there’s the fact that brain development goes on well into your 20′s, so perhaps we should raise the voting age to 28 or so when people’s brains are fully matured.
I don’t think our present voting system gives us all that much power, and I don’t think AV will be any better (worse as it’s an outmoded system) so I really wouldn’t have a problem with 16 year olds voting. It’s certainly better for you than smoking!
I’m glad you asked the question & hope I’ve given you something to think about.
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We had the same discussion when I was 17 and the voting age was about to be reduced to 18. Our conclusions were that we were not mature enough and our understanding of politics was going to take a few years longer. So I cannot agree with anything being reduced to 16, in fact raising everything else to 18 would make more sense.
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As a parent of a 19 and 17 year old living in the US, I am a fan of the age of consent being 18, and drinking 21.
Adults having sex with anyone under 18 – statutory rape.
Anyone under 21 drinking can get MIA’s, MIP’s, jail, …. And under 21 drinking and driving, lose your licence until you’re 21.
Tough love.
At least when you are allowed to vote at the age of 18, generally you aren’t drunk or pregnant.
(Some of this varies by State but not by much, just making a point)
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Surely a fundamental argument would be the one of taxation? if you are eligible to pay tax at 16 if in employment then you should also be eligible to vote for a party/individual who will decide on what level of taxation you will pay?
I could go on but i’ve kept it brief as i’m tired and off to bed.
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what about those who don’t pay taxes? they dont have a right to vote?, or is it just of you are under 18 and pay taxes then you can vote?
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You’re missing the point. The fact is that you are eligible to pay taxes and many do, if the government is able to spend a portion of any money you earn then surely you should get a say in how they spend it.
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I get that point, it’s the thin end of a wedge though, basically it could then become a step away from if you dont pay taxes then you have no right to a say/vote….that scares me
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I’d rather see the ages all aligned to 18 (even raised back to 21) than everything lowered to 16. There are leaps and bounds in maturity, reasoning, impulse control and understanding between these ages, which is medically proven and observable these days through studies of the brain.
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I don’t doubt that at all tc, although I doubt a medical study would use such broad terms as maturity, but I question the conclusion. I’m guessing that a similar result would occur if testing the brain functions of 70+s against 18-25′s (the phrase ‘having a senior moment’ hasn’t come about from nowhere). If this is correct then do we withdraw the voting rights of the elderly ?
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interesting point well made, and one I will need to ponder before opining more.
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If anything the voting age should go up, to 21.
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Should the voting age be lowered to 16 from 18 is a very good question and my view is that I would rather give the vote to 16 year olds than people who have committed crime and are in prison. I also think that if you are not or have not contributed to the system in the way of taxes then you shouldn’t be able to have a say on how this country is governed. Also people who have gone to live and work abroad because the life here wasn’t good enough shouldn’t be able to have vote on things that effect the people that have remained loyal to Britain.
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“…my view is that I would rather give the vote to 16 year olds than people who have committed crime and are in prison”
It wasn’t an either/or question.
“…if you are not or have not contributed to the system in the way of taxes then you shouldn’t be able to have a say on how this country is governed”
Would that include people who, through no fault of their own (e.g. disability) have never been able to work?
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No it wouldn’t included people who can not work or contribute through no fault of their own and most disabled people would like nothing more than to be able to go out and work
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It’s taken a while, I’ve read and re-read the letter and the responses and mulled it over whilst tending to my ablutions and I think I’ve come to a conclusion;
1) Since you can pay tax from 0 then taxation in itself is not a valid reason for choosing a voting age of 18 over 16.
2) It’s enough to say that the brain functions differently depending on age, however it is a very different matter to use this as a method of occluding someone from voting. It is probably better to just celebrate that we do think differently rather than use it as a basis for discrimination.
Conclusion; votes for everyone irrespective of age. Yes, we’d probably get a massive swing towards policies based around ponies and space-dinosaurs but like that’s a bad thing ????!!??
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But until you’re 16 it is required by law that you are being educated full time and are thus not eligible for taxation. After 16 this restriction is removed.
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Nope. You are eligible for taxation from birth. Taxation is dependant on income. Income can be generated from wealth, ergo a wealthy baby can be taxed.
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When I was a teenager I associated being able to vote with adulthood & responsibility, coming of age if you like.
Adulthood & responsibility are no fun = stay young & carefree as long as you can & only grow up when you have too (I’m not promoting irresponsibility however!). You’ll have many opportunities to vote later.
Well done Year 11, Idsal. Other than being hijacked for a debate on ‘the right age to do anything’, you have startesd a healthy debate.
(Nistagmus 17. Great blog. Will I be able to vote for Brains from Thunderbirds?)
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Why should age be the factor in considering a right to vote?
Should it be based on,
Intelligence?
Contribution to society?
Amount paid in tax?
Home Ownership?
Why should everyone’s vote count equally? The more that you pay in tax should equate to more votes, degree level education gives a few more, as would owning a home.
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I agree. Males with a double-barrel names will no longer have their vote count. (Of course I’m being faceatious but be careful what you wish for)
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As I see it quite a few of 16 year old would have difficulty in putting a “X” in the correct place.
” What er er do you mean an X, where? “
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Leaving aside the fact that, if AV comes in, it’ll be 1,2,3 anyway, they’re not the only ones. My Dad still talks about being in a polling station in Newport in 1979 and a woman complaining that ‘there’s no Margaret Thatcher (on this ballot paper).’
I’m a school teacher myself (not in the UK) and one thing I can say about our teenagers is that they’re very questioning about politics. They want to know who the parties are, where they stand on a range of issues, what their vote would mean etc etc. In short, they’re considerably more curious than a lot of adults are.
The students who wrote the letter are clearly curious enough to explore the rights and wrongs of 16 year-olds having the vote. Personally, I have an open mind on that but I do know that the least they deserve is a mature response to their request for ideas.
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I say, give 16 year olds the vote. Many of them seem more switched-on than the older age groups.
According to a recent MORI poll, the number of 16—24-year-olds who say that immigration is a major problem has risen from 60% to 70% in last twelve months
So for the first time, people in the 16—24 age group are now more concerned about immigration than those in their 30s.
Despite years of brainwashing in schools and on TV, more youngsters than ever before are seeing through the lies and spin of the Political Class.
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What next ?
Before you know it they’ll be giving women the vote!
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I really do not see a problem with 16 year old young people voting.
At that age I had to put up with my father droning on about having to start working at 14 yrs. When I was working and training to be a nursery nurse at 16, I was being treated as an adult in all senses and was quite politically aware from what I remember.
All this repression, treating young adults as children and not giving them self responsibility is so odd.
In WW1 many this age went off to war to fight for our country, partly because they were keen to get a pair of boots for the first time in their lives.
I can’t agree remotely with Tyrone Shoelaces and identify more with Liz on this one.
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What difference does it make?
The only difference will end up being which Eton educated lying, thieving, never done a honest days work in their lives ends up at No10.
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yes anything to dilute the grey vote
it would make our democracy fairer and more representative
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Democracy is about having a choice not about who gets to vote or when.
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