If all ages are influenced by misinformation, should there be any age limits on voting?
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
In the 2024 UK general election, only 59.7% of eligible voters actually voted (according to the House of Commons Library). This is shocking; we are lucky to live in a democracy, so to squander this privilege and ignore this crucial puzzle piece of a good society is disgraceful. Therefore, I believe we should lower the voting age to 16.
Lowering the voting age would help younger people to form opinions and learn about the voting process. Most people of 16 and 17 live at home with family and are in some form of education. Starting to vote while living in surroundings that could influence you in some way is good. It can help you learn to negotiate and express your political opinions with people who you trust, who may have the same or different opinions to yours.
In 2025, the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust commissioned a study, carried out by researchers at Sheffield and Edinburgh Universities, into lowering the voting age. It concluded that it would result in potential positive effects: older generations would take younger people more seriously because they would see they were forming opinions and sharing them in an impactful way; young people would begin to persuade their family and friends to participate; the habit of voting would start young and continue as people get older.
Some people believe the voting age should not be lowered because 16 and 17 year olds are influenced the most by misinformation on social media. Ofcom (the Uk's media regualtor) discovered in 2024 that about 82% of 16-17 year olds get news from social media. It's horrifying that so many young people have been caught in the web of lies spun by social media platforms. However, Ofcom also discovered that about 48% of 45-54 year olds get news from social media, meaning they're also influenced by misinformation, and yet they still have the right to vote.
Furthermore, in 2015 there were around 1.5 million 16-17 year olds in the UK, making up about 2.87% of the population aged 16 and over. If we lowered the voting age there would be and extra 1.5 million people eligible to vote, which may sound like a lot, but isn't really enough to drastically change the outcome of the election.
In conclusion, misinformation affects all ages, but we should trust young people with the right to vote.
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