Should the Voting Age be Lowered to 16 Or Should it Stay at 18?

By Anya Streed

There is a lot of debate on whether voting age should be lowered to 16 or not. I don't think it should and here are some of my reasons.

16 year olds should not vote because they are not mature enough. While 16 year olds might have the same amount of knowledge in civics, they are much less mature. High school kids are much more likely to do something on a dare or be influenced by their friends' decisions. 16 year olds are also not old enough to drink, or join the military. So are they old enough to affect who leads our country?

High school kids haven't had the opportunity to make life decisions by themselves yet. Their vote would be influenced by their parents’ political opinion, making it just like another vote for their parents.

Here are some opinions of real 16 year olds. In a survey by The Hermiston Herald, 16 year olds were asked what they think. Most said they wouldn't take the time to get informed and make an educated decision. One girl mentioned that high school kids rely on social media, and are easily impressionable. They would likely make a vote based on what they see and hear, not what they really think. Another boy said the voting age is good at 18 because kids are out of high school and better at learning about politics. In a vote led by The Student Room, 21% of 16 year olds surveyed wanted it to be lowered while 79% were opposed. This shows that most 16 year olds don't think they are ready to vote and shouldn't be allowed to.