The right to vote is a fundamental human right that gives each eligible individual the power to choose their preferred leaders. The debate on the right age to vote has continued to elicit mixed opinions on proponents' and opponents' motion. In essence, voting gives people the power to make significant changes in how they want to be governed, replace lousy leadership, or protect other fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech. Arguably, few countries in the world do not practice a democratic way of governance where they have no say in who gets in government. Several decades back, women in most countries were not allowed to vote, but human rights activists made significant strides in winning their political rights (Astor, 2019). Also, many countries, including many states in the U.S, limited the voting age, but much has changed for the better. This paper argues that lowering the voting age to 16 is critical to giving young people opportunities early to protect their fundamental rights.
Undoubtedly, 16-year-olds are mature enough to make crucial decisions and perform shared responsibilities, and as such, should be allowed to vote. This group of people have received sufficient education and can manage their everyday activities without much supervision from their parents. At the same time, the 16-year-olds have enough experience, both at work and in school. Their minds have matured, and they understand the political scene and intricacies that befall politics and governance (Astor, 2019). Moreover, their experiences, along with acquired civic knowledge and all the critical skills they possess, give them the ability to vote responsibly. Since they have political views and opinions, they should be allowed to voice these opinions and make political choices through voting.
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16-year-olds already enjoy other fundamental rights. For instance, some countries allow young people in this age group to marry, leave home, have children, and work. Therefore, there is no reason to divide different rights for different age groups. If young people can be allowed to decide their future, why deny them the chance to vote? According to Henn & Oldfield (2016), if young people are allowed to partake in elections and other democratic activities, their opinions and perceptions on voting, politics, and governance will change for the better. Giving them the chance to cast their votes will mold them to indulge more in matters that impact their future, including education, health, and sustainable growth.
While 16-year-olds already take on different responsibilities, they are not mature enough to participate in critical decision-making processes. By far, young people in this age group still live at home and attend school. While they are considered mature, their minds are still developing. Moreover, most still depend on their parents. Their political views are not as thoughtful as the rest of the adults (Henn & Oldfield, 2016). Moreover, these young people are denied other rights in most countries, for instance, drinking, smoking, and serving in the military. While some of these rights favor them, it does not mean they should use them. For instance, while 16-year-olds can have families at that age, a country with many young people marrying and bearing children can lead to a population disaster in the long run. Regardless, people learn through experiences, and allowing them to vote from an early age will sharpen their responsibilities, perceptions, and decision-making.
Denying 16-year-olds the right to vote promotes unequal representation. The United States is a democratic nation, and the government is tasked with representing all its citizens' rights and privileges. Are the 16-year-olds not part of the general population? Are they not part of that democracy? Frey (2017) acknowledges that today's democracy has evolved due to the changing socio-economic paradigm. As such, young people should be allowed t take part I political decisions that affect them. Government crafts policies such as the minimum wage bill. Young people can work and are taxed on what they earn. Voting will enable them to have a say on these issues. Denying them to vote denies them the opportunity to inject fresh ideas in fundamental matters impacting their lives from that early age.
Young people cannot vote wrongly. Since the first election in the U.S, people claim that people have been voting in the wrong people to represent them in government. Most fail to understand that everybody has their reasons for voting for someone, and we must all respect each person's decision and right. The same should apply to the youth and give them a chance to vote and respecting whom they vote, even if we disagree with their decisions. According to Mac-Ikemenjima (2018), youth voter turnout is susceptible to challenging economic times, with most 18-25-year-olds developing a negative perception of political involvement. While lowering the voter age limit may not resolve the low voter turnout, it will help mold the youth to participate in voting and politics from an early age.
While the government tackles issues that affect everyone, the same does not translate to voting. School policies are part of the government's plan, but it does not mean that 12-year-olds should vote since these policies apply to them. The same is valid for health and other critical government services. As such, parents are responsible for making decisions that are of interest to their families, including the 16-year-olds. Therefore, the responsibility to vote should be left for the adults. Moreover, there are many avenues for young people to voice their political opinions on issues affecting them. Joining youth political parties, speaking at public forums, and signing petitions provide a pathway for young individuals to share their ideas and opinions on the country's governance (Astor, 2019). Despite trusting parents with the ultimate voting decision, as stated above, allowing the youth to vote would not create any concerns for politics, parenthood, and voter rights. While actively taking part in political forums, youths should also be allowed to cast their votes on the national stage.
Allowing teenagers to vote would force leaders to take their issues and ideas seriously. Indeed, youths have several issues that need to be addressed, including education, health, and public governance. Policies that touch on the youths would be dealt with accordingly if the youths were allowed to vote. With technology and education at par, 16-year-olds are well-educated and connected through social media to create and share informed opinions on various issues that impact them (Wagner et al., 2012). However, views and ideas from this group of people are ignored by those in powerful offices. At the same time, most leaders use youth problems and recommendations during campaigns to capture young voters' minds. Once in power, greed, and corrupt takeover, and all the issues are put aside. With teenage voters, ignorance of their problems would reduce as more concerns would be placed on resolving them.
In conclusion, lowering the voting age to 16 will benefit the youth in many ways, including giving them the chance to select leaders who will safeguard their rights, issues, and interests. Lowering the age limit to vote will go a long way in ensuring the youth remain active in the country's politics, take on more responsibility, and contribute to the national cake. Indeed, young people should be allowed to vote because they are already mature to make informed decisions, are well educated, and enable leaders to take their issues more seriously. However, critics believe that 16-year-olds are still under the parents` care, and as such, should trust their parents to make political choices that are of interest to the entire family. Regardless, democracy mandates equal representation, and 16-year-olds are mature enough to take that responsibility and vote wisely.
References
Astor, M. (2019). 16-Year-Olds want a vote. Fifty years ago, so did 18-Year-Olds . The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/us/politics/voting-age.html
Frey, B. S. (2017). Proposals for a democracy of the future. Homo Oeconomicus , 34 (1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41412-017-0040-9
Henn, M., & Oldfield, B. (2016). Cajoling or coercing: Would electoral engineering resolve the young citizen–state disconnect? Journal of Youth Studies , 19 (9), 1259-1280. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1154935
Mac-Ikemenjima, D. (2018). Violence and youth voter turnout in sub-Saharan Africa. Youths in Challenging Situations , 51-62. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429461927-5
Wagner, M., Johann, D., & Kritzinger, S. (2012). Voting at 16: Turnout and the quality of vote choice. Electoral Studies , 31 (2), 372-383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2012.01.007
