Would giving 16-year-olds the vote improve democracy or just change the way campaigns are run?

Favorite topic: Lowering the voting age

Do you think that a few million people being allowed to vote can change a democracy? A democracy is a form of government which in Greek means “ ruled by the people”. In the United States, we have a democratic form of government where people can vote at the age of 18. However, I think that lowering the voting age to 16 years old would definitely have a positive impact on our democracy! With 16 and 17 year olds already having rights like obtaining their driving licenses, then why not give them the right to vote?

• A reason why 16 and 17 year olds should vote is it will give them a voice in matters that impact their family and their own lives. This is important because the votes will be more reflective of the country’s desires while also giving more people representation in government that were excluded before. For example, in the U.K , the voting age was lowered to 16 allowing an extra 1.7 million people to vote. Furthermore, studies have shown that this allows more people to have a say in how the government is run which makes elections more fair for all people. For example, Ecuador is ranked in the top 25% for inclusive suffrage, electoral participation, and has shown improvements to credible elections according to the international IDEA. Since the UK and Ecuador have experienced success with lowering the voting age, it proves that allowing younger voters to participate in their government can have positive outcomes.

In my opinion, lowering the voting age to 16 or 17 will give teenagers a taste of voting and of the government before they turn into a young adult.This will give them a head start at becoming responsible citizens! An individual who might disagree might say that 16 and 17 year olds will not be mature enough to research the candidates to make right choices.On the other hand, I think they are wrong because 16 and 17 years olds can take college courses with adults and have to research all the time! Additionally, teenagers have to learn about our democratic government in school. Therefore, they should be able to vote in our country as well! In closing, lowering the voting age can lead to good effects like giving young people the feeling that their thoughts, ideas, and values matter!