I will be 17 years and 357 days old on the 7th May 2015, the next general election, and that makes me exactly 8 days too young to vote. There has been much debate about lowering the voting age to 16, this is partly due to the success of the lower voting age in the 2014 Scottish Referendum. Some passed this off as a sly way to increase the support for the ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign as it was assumed that the younger voters would be more willing to take a chance (and they did with 71% voting for Scottish independence) (BBC) rather than a step towards increased democracy. There’s a general feeling that young people deserve the ability to vote and 43% of 16-18 year olds think that you should be able to vote from 16 (YouGov). However would a lower voting age actually encourage teenagers to take an active part in our political system?
For years the fall back argument to allowing 16 and 17 to year olds to vote is that at 16 you can get married, join the army and pay taxes. However it does feel like we are putting too much value on the ability of 16 year olds to make life changing decisions. You cannot get married without parental consent at 16, it is impossible to actually be deployed in the army until you are 18 and with compulsory education until 18, it is very unlikely that 16 and 17 year olds are earning enough to pay taxes. Moreover no matter how old you feel at 16, your parents and teachers still have a large influence over you and therefore by allowing young people to vote, we could actually hinder democracy. The newly franchised young people may just follow the footsteps of their parents rather than forming their own ideas and political wants which occurred in the Scottish referendum in 2014 with 60% of young adults voting in the same way as their parents (The Guardian). This just increases the political power of those who already have the vote.
When Alex Salmond announced that 16 and 17 year olds would be politically franchised for the first time in the UK, there was a huge level of concern that teenage angst and apathy would just result in a disappointing turnout. Yet the exact opposite happened, nearly 100% of those Scottish teenagers who were eligible to register, did (The Guardian). If England were to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in general elections, it could inspire teenagers to care about the policies which affect our everyday lives. As a generation we certainly do need to reengage with politics. In 2010 only 44% of 18-24 year olds voted (UK political), the lowest turnout of all age groups, but this isn't a new worry. In 2005, only 45% of 18-24 year olds voted (Electoral Commission). There has long been a feeling of discontent with British politics and something needs to be done. Perhaps by giving young people the vote, it would prove that our opinions do count, and that our voices are being heard and therefore this could lead to a greater voting turn out among young people. Moreover it seems as though politicians take advantage of the fact that 16 and 17 year olds are unable to vote. The last Governments have abolished the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) in England, increased university tuition fees to £9000 per year and increased the age at which will be able to retire (BBC Free Speech). These all directly affect young people and it is not fair. If we were able to vote, political parties would have to introduce policies that benefit young people.
In conclusion I think that the voting age should be lowered to 16 years old because teenagers want to be able to vote, they want to have their voices heard. We are no longer happy to sit and stay silent whilst our futures hang in the balance. I do worry that if the vote is lowered to 16 years old, that the same low level of youth participation will continue, but there are definitely solutions to this in the long run. In order for the lower voting age to work, I believe that we need a better political education in schools, so that everybody knows the benefits of voting and the choices that are out there. Equally, we need politicians who want teenagers to vote and politicians who truly care about young people, so that the young people will want to vote for them.
Written by Georgina
Written by Georgina
Picture credit: Ellen
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