AP Government students debate a 16-year-old voting age

Ed. note: The Wessex Wire worked with AP Government and Politics teacher Beth Vaknin to develop this special series of opinion essays with two sections of her AP Government class.

In July 2025, the British government approved legislation that will allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in general elections for the first time. The voting age has been 18 in the United States since the 26th amendment was passed in 1971, and the American government has recently debated it. We asked 45 AP Government and Politics students what they think of this potential alteration in the system:

• 20 said that 16-year-olds should be able to vote.
• 25 said that 16-year-olds should not be able to vote.

Below, find links to all of the students’ work, randomized and labeled by whether each student writer encourages or discourages the potential of 16-year-old voters in the United States.