Should 16 and 17-year-olds have the vote?
Should young people have a say in matters that affect their lives - or are the youth of today too disengaged to be trusted with the vote?
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In brief…
- 16-year-olds won’t be able to vote in the UK general election, but several parties support giving this age group the opportunity to vote next time round
- Advocates argue that lowering the voting age to 16 could boost political engagement, while critics argue this group lacks maturity and relies too much on social media for information.
- Several countries, including Austria and Malta, already allow this age group to vote in general elections
With the General Election around the corner, many teens in Britain will be itching to have their say. But if you are under 18, you won’t be making it to the polling booth to cast your ballot on 4 July.
That is despite the fact that policies from the major political parties will likely have significant impacts on their futures and even current lives, from climate change to housing and education.
Critics would argue that 16 and 17-year-olds are simply too young to make these kinds of decisions, are politically disengaged and would point to the lower turnout among younger voters.
But the country could have looked very different if this demographic was handed voting rights earlier. One only has to cast their eyes back to the Brexit vote in 2016, with just 27 percent of 18-24 year-olds voting to leave the EU compared to the 60 percent for the over 65s.
So is it fair that they are left out? The issue is certainly not clear cut and there are arguments to be made on both sides.
Which countries allow 16 year-olds to vote?
Several countries allow this age group to vote, from Brazil and Argentina to Cuba and Ecuador.
Closer to home in Europe, the voting age was lowered to 16 for the European elections in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Greece and Malta. But for the rest of the continent, this age group will have to wait until they turn 18.
Even in the UK, there are differences among the devolved nations.
While they cannot vote in general elections, 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland and Wales can vote in local and national elections. But in England, this age group is not given voting rights at all.
What are the arguments for giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote?
Some research has shown that giving 16-year-olds the vote in Scotland has led to greater political engagement.
During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, a 75% turnout among 16-17 year-olds meant they turned out in greater numbers than 18-24-year-olds.
And over 97% of these newly enfranchised voters reported an intention to continue voting in the future.
A similar pattern has formed in Austria, where 16-year-olds have had the opportunity to vote since 2016. There have been several regional elections in the country where 16 and 17-year-olds’ turnout exceeds turnout of older first time voters by 8 to 10 percentage points.
The Electoral Reform Society argues that extending the vote would mean that young people would go from learning about voting to putting it into practice, driving their engagement and interest in politics.
What are the arguments against giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote?
Germany recently lowered the voting age to 16 for the European Parliament elections, opening up the door to 4.8million new potential voters.
The move contributed to a huge victory for Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland party, which made major gains by using TikTok campaigns to lure in younger voters.
Studies show that this demographic gets more of its political information from social media platforms rather than via traditional political journalism, meaning much of the information they receive about politics may not be fact-checked or entirely accurate.
A low turnout among voters is another argument opponents of extending the voting age may point to.
Polling by Ipsos MORI revealed that turnout in the 2019 General Election was just 47 percent among 18 to 24-year-olds, compared to the 74 percent among over-65s. This is why it has been argued that opening up the vote to this age group may not lead to greater political engagement.
Others, like former Tory party leader Theresa May’s de-facto Deputy David Lidington, say 16-17-year-olds lack the “maturity and responsibility” or life experiences needed to be able to vote.
Where do the UK’s political parties stand?
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer says the voting age should be lowered to 16, arguing that anyone old enough to work and pay taxes should also be allowed to have their say. He has even included it in the party’s manifesto.
He told reporters while out on the campaign trail: “If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your Armed Forces, then you ought to be able to vote.”
The Liberal Democrats have also welcomed Labour’s pledge, with leader Ed Davey saying his party has “long supported” this move.
Joining them is The Green Party, who have also included lowering the voting age in its manifesto.
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak’s voting record shows he voted against allowing those aged 16 and 17 to vote in the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU in 2015.
The policy is absent from the Conservative Party manifesto, the party which is notoriously less popular among younger voters.
Takeaways
A recent poll by More in Common found that the policy to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds may not be popular with the British public.
In a survey of 2,049 adults between 27 and 29 May this year, 47% said they opposed the idea of extending the voting age to 16 while just 28 percent were in support.
But the policy would be a far greater benefit for Labour than the Tories, which draws in much of its votes from the younger age groups. In 2019, 56% of 18-24 year-olds who voted in the general election went with Labour.
This may be why Sunak has claimed Starmer has included the policy to lower the voting age in his manifesto to “entrench his power” for years.
What do The News Agents think?
Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall discussed Labour’s plans to change the minimum voting age to 16-17 in a News Agents election Q&A special.
Jon Sopel said: “I have a slight reluctance because I don’t think you have enough of a stake in society yet at 16 or to have a vote. “I fully accept that you shouldn’t be able to die for your country and not have the vote. That’s sort of my bottom line. If you can join the army, then you should be able to vote in an election.
What difference would it make? Well, if you look at polling evidence, older people vote conservative, younger people are more liberal minded.”
“The other side of it though is, what percentage of young people go and vote.”
But Lewis Goodall hit back: “I am actually perfectly comfortable with it…If 16 and 17-year-olds would have been allowed to vote in the Brexit referendum, they’re still living with Brexit in a way that frankly, a lot of the people who vote for Brexit in 2016, they’re no longer with us and we’re living with the consequences of their decisions.”