When I was 16, I was too busy thinking about school, my hobbies, friendships, and my part-time job to care about politics. Politics felt like a daunting world I was too young to understand. As a result, I believed what my parents, peers, and social media told me to believe without questioning any of it.
Fears Over Maturity, Engagement, and Turnout
Many have argued that 16-year-olds’ heightened susceptibility to pressure, a lack of maturity and life experiences present compelling reasons against granting them the right to vote. The Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party oppose lowering the voting age, maintaining that 16- and 17-year-olds are not politically aware, mature, or independent enough to make informed electoral choices. Meanwhile, polling ahead of the 2024 General Election revealed that only 28 per cent of the public supported the proposal to lower the voting age. A further argument against reform is that voter turnout tends to increase with age, with the lowest turnout seen among younger demographics.
Fewer than half of 18-to-24-year-olds voted in the last general election. If 16- and 17-year-olds turned out to vote at similar rates, it could decrease overall voter turnout. In the case of Scotland, the voting age for Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections is 16. However, youth turnout has recently been disappointing despite the opportunity to make yourself heard. In 2021, only two-thirds of Scottish 16–17-year-olds were registered to vote. And yet, supporters of youth enfranchisement insist that lowering the voting age would boost political engagement among young people by motivating them to become more politically active and informed while still in education.
A Vital Step Toward Youth Empowerment and Democratic Fairness
Despite low turnouts in Scotland, supporters maintain that lowering the voting age will motivate young people to engage with politics early, laying the foundation for lifelong political participation. In Malta, youth participation increased after the voting age was reduced to 16 in 2018, with a 58 per cent turnout in 2024. Though Malta remains an exception, together with a handful of other countries such as Sweden that see relatively high youth voter turnout, there is an argument to be made in favour of lowering the voting age. Encouraging political awareness during adolescence helps establish voting as a habit, particularly when young people are still in school and living at home, with structured support.
Kier Starmer’s current Labour government has committed to lowering the voting age to 16 in their manifesto. Starmer believes that it is inconsistent to grant 16- and 17-year-olds the right to leave full-time education, get married or join the armed forces, while denying them the right to vote. The actions of the government have a huge impact on young people’s futures, particularly in the case of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a person who was a child in 2020 is expected to see a 400 per cent increase in global heating, whilst an adult over 55 will see none. In light of this and a multitude of other reasons, young people deserve a voice in the democratic process. However, low youth turnout rates, combined with rising extremism, suggest that lowering the voting age alone may not be enough and could even be dangerous.
Votes at 16 Need Civics Education
Whilst in Malta, lowering the voting age led to increased youth participation, the impact of reform worldwide has been mixed. Scotland, Austria, and Greece have all had disappointing youth turnout rates, below the EU average of 36 per cent since lowering the voting age. These outcomes suggest that youth enfranchisement alone is not enough to boost political engagement. Reducing the voting age must go hand in hand with reformed civics education.
The primary reason many young people don’t vote isn’t apathy; it’s confusion. They often lack a clear understanding of electoral systems, the positions of candidates, and the value of democratic participation. When I was 16, I was clueless about politics, not because I wasn’t capable or interested, but because I simply didn’t know where to begin with teaching myself something so broad and nuanced. Politics felt overwhelming and inaccessible. To remedy this, civics education should be made mandatory in schools in the UK.
All students should receive impartial instruction on how the Government and Parliament function, how to engage in respectful debate, and how to evaluate the credibility of information. They should be guided toward trustworthy news sources, made aware of the dangers of online echo chambers and political extremism, and taught to critically analyse political manifestos.
In Malta, students are formally taught about the importance of civic engagement and participation in politics throughout their time in education. The Maltese government provide support for young people who are setting up civil society organisations, helping them to gain financial aid and a platform. This commitment to civic education is reflected in the high youth election turnouts in Malta.
Ultimately, robust civics education is vital for providing young people with the knowledge and confidence to vote. Furthermore, a lack of reliable political sources and information can leave young people frighteningly susceptible to brainwashing by extremist influencers. A recent YouGov study examining attitudes among young men towards Andrew Tate revealed that one in six boys aged 6-15 have a positive opinion of the extreme right-wing influencer. Arguably, the British education system is letting young people down. I firmly believe that the voting age should be lowered to 16, but only if quality civics education is made compulsory and accessible for all.
When I was 18 and had the opportunity to vote, I made the effort to educate myself on the political landscape in my country and to build my own opinions. Enfranchisement empowered me to become politically active. The more I learnt about politics, the more I realised it had been a part of my life all along. The thoughts I had at 16 about school, friendships, my job, and my future were all interlinked with larger political questions and shaped my political compass.
Sixteen-year-olds are more than capable of voting maturely and autonomously. But first, we must reform the education system to give young people the tools to make informed and unbiased decisions. We must give young people a voice to inspire them to care about politics.
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