If all ages are influenced by misinformation, should there be any age limits on voting?

If the UK decides to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, approximately 1.5 million people could choose the UK’s fate for the first time. However, some people are wondering whether allowing 16-year-olds to vote would be a good idea. Personally, I think we should lower the age limit on voting, but show young people how to vote so that sensible choices are made which are not swayed by misinformation.

What I mean by this is that if someone told a 17-year-old to vote for a specific person for a misinformed reason, we should encourage them to check the facts so that they are aware of what is factual and what is not. Otherwise, it would be like having no age limit at all: most people would easily be manipulated to vote for specific party leaders and it would remove the true element of democracy (which is one of the government’s main goals for the UK).

I understand that just telling 16-year-olds to do this still may not fix the problem and to be honest, I do not know how we can address this other than by allowing 16-year-olds to vote and seeing what happens.

In conclusion, if the UK government does not find a suitable way to prepare 16-year-olds for voting, politicians may be forced to manipulate 16-year-olds, involuntarily removing some of the democracy that makes Britain a good place to live. I feel that age limits should only be in place if schools address how to vote.