Would giving 16-year-olds the vote improve democracy or just change the way campaigns are run?
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
At sixteen, many teenagers begin to start working, contributing to the economy, and paying taxes, however, they still have no say in the political decisions that affect them. Firstly, just because someone has not hit eighteen yet does not mean they lack judgement when it comes to politics. In fact, some countries have already made a shift, places like Austria, Brazil, and Greece now let teens cast votes in national voting systems, which proves that inclusion actually works without a lot of chaos. These examples clearly demonstrate that trust will grow when it is given early. Moreover, driving a car takes skill, so does holding down a job full time, and both are allowed at sixteen in many places. Therefore, when rules say you can earn wages or operate vehicles, but you cannot choose leaders, things definitely feel unbalanced. According to CBC, teens today sort truth from phony every day, often better than older generations tend to do which further reveals that teens are capable of making informed decisions which supports the idea of them having a voice in political matters.Young people help shape culture, create trends, respond to crises, all while being excluded from official decisions. Everyone tells us that responsibility begins before adulthood, and if that is true, then representation should follow shortly behind. Giving 16 and 17 year olds the vote tends to stick, once they start to vote, many will keep going. Some say kids at that stage aren’t ready, but the idea feels heavier than reality now. Think about it, many sixteen year olds juggle school, jobs, even rent or family roles, all of which handle tax, steering cards down roads, and pitching in where help is needed. When rules let them carry weight just like adults do in nearly every way, blocking their say in who makes rules? That doesn't sound right anymore. Young people bring new ideas into politics when given a voice. Because climate and schools shape their future more than anyone else's, it matters that today's rules shut them out of decision making. Letting 16 year olds vote means choices made now consider those who will face the outcome the longest. When teens join the process of voting, it shows the government that voting works best when everyone counts. When you look around a bit, it seems that giving 16 year olds a chance to cast their opinion into politics seems to make sense. When young voices join elections, it also adds depth to different public ideas. Thus, democracies grow stronger not by shrinking who belongs but expanding it to who's actually included.
Comments (0)