Should voting rights match a person’s legal responsibilities?
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
The UK government is looking to change the voting age from 18 to 16-years-old. There are some reasons why I disagree this statement, which I will outline below.
I think that changing the voting age would change the way campaigns are run because they will make the elections more childish and more fit for 16-year-olds. This will disengage the older generations.
The first example that supports my opinion is that most 16-year-olds cannot be taken seriously and are not that mature. In my opinion, they are not yet legally adults so they are irresponsible and immature.
The second example that supports my opinion is that MRI brain scanning reveals that 16- and 17-year-old's brains are not ready to be trusted and are not ready for the future of the country to be held in their hands. They need further brain development as they have not finished school yet and have things to learn.
One person who disagrees with me is David Runciman, a professor in politics. He says that ‘when you get to the age of 18, you can get married, you can join the army, you can pay taxes, I think you should be able to decide the country’s future.’ But, as I said, 16-year-olds are not responsible.
All in all, I think that under 18s should not able to vote and that the voting age should remain in line with wider legal responsibilities.
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