I think that the voting age should be lowered to 16. This article expresses that lowering the age of voting to 16 can up the voter turnout and lead younger generations to have the habit of voting. Individuals participating in voting tend to become firm when starting at a younger age. Younger people are also strained by many political issues like education, the environment, and jobs but they don’t have a voice to emphasize their opinions. This article also states that including 16-17-year-olds in voting it provides a more inclusive democracy. Since these older teens are affected by these issues, it would make sense to give them a say in how they are decided. This article mentions how Britain has already lowered their voting age/proposed it and how it has worked for them/ how they proposed it has worked for them. They say 16-17-year-olds are more likely to vote than the 18-year-olds. These voters have also been claimed as responsible, thoughtful, and are engaging in politics.
One piece of information from the text that refutes my opinion is that these 16-17-year-olds aren’t mature enough or have the life experience to have the right to vote. When balancing certain complex issues in the world it can be hard to categorize them and make an educated decision. Even though these teens are affected by certain political issues, the limited time they have had on this earth and the limits of exposure to politics expresses that their vote could easily be switched by their family, friends, social media, and so much more. My opinion stands that lowering the voting age would strengthen democracy by creating voting habits and have a better voter turnout each year and in the new generations to come. Young people are in fact strained by political dilemmas while lacking a heard voice. Having them vote makes the system more inclusive and also gives these individuals affected by these policies a voice. Although, having people make concerns about maturity, the statistics from Britain show the young voters are able to make these hard decisions and be active in the voting polls. Ultimately, lowering the voting age in my opinion would only help strengthen democracy and empower these teens.
