Should voting rights match a person’s legal responsibilities?

Voting age is a consistent debate between countries. Whereas some countries such as Wales and Scotland have decided to allow 16-year-olds to vote, other like the UK and USA have not yet made this decision, despite Ed Miliband trying to commit the UK Labour party to votes at 16.

Personally, I believe that 16 to 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote, considering our belief that everyone’s opinion should be heard. This is supported by the BBC news who thinks that our future society is going to afffect young people the most and states that in early adulthood, our brain is poised to learn how to make decisions and become an adult, showing that 16 to 17-year-olds are capable. A key thought is that even though they might be young, they should not be judged by their age and may have good reasoning behind their opinions due to strong education.

There are also debates over whether people with medical issues, mental health struggles, or disabilities should not vote as they may not be capable. Truthfully, they should not be judged by their looks or problems, and their rights should be respected. I do not think we should stick to legal responsibility ages as everyone deserves to have a say in their country’s rights. Just because they might be different, it does not mean their opinions do not matter.

Some young people can be more knowledgeable than adults and more aware of misinformation, making it right to give 16 to 17-year-olds the choice to vote if they want to, however everybody will have their own opinion on this. Some countries have already come to terms with lowering the age so hopefully the UK will follow soon!