Analysis: The Youth Vote: True Universal Sufferage or A Disastrous Idea?

One of the most contentious political issues of all time is lowering the voting age. Historically, the age at which one becomes enfranchised has always been seen as too high by many people, to the point where it is an extremely polarising issue. As we know now, the current age to vote in England is 18. However, the issue of extending the franchise to anyone 16 and up is becoming a very popular issue. Especially considering that Scotland have given their 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote in Scottish elections. Before 1969 the idea of giving 18 year olds the vote was a far-fetched one, but under the premiership of Harold Wilson with the Representation of the People Act 1969 (not to be confused with that of 1918) the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18, proving that this isn't the first time people have thought it would be right to lower it.

Arguably the most important factor in why people wish for the voting age to be lowered is that 16 and 17 year olds now are more politically informed than ever. Speaking as someone in that age category, I can tell you firsthand that my generation are very politically aware. With the growth of social media, news and various opinions are quite literally avaliable in people's pockets. But I think to assume that young people only passively consume politics from social media is very naive and gives young people far less credit than we're worth. Many young people geniunely care about politics in the knowledge that today's decisions affect the future- our future. This, in my opinion is generally why young people were so anti-Brexit. The fact that every decision will affect young people for the longest is already a huge reason as to why the voting age should be lowered. One of the common counter-arguments is that young people don't have the sense to vote, but I don't think that's a fair argument. There are plenty of adults who have zero politcal sense but still have the right to vote. There are plenty of 16 and 17 year olds who know far more about politics than the average adult.

Another huge factor as to why extending the franchise out to 16 and 17 year olds is the volume of people that could be represented. According to the ONS, there just shy of 1.5 million people aged 16 and 17 in the UK. It would represent an extra roughly 1 in 60 people across the UK and would increase the potential electorate by over 3%. Whilst that figure doesn't sound too immense when written on paper, during what many analysts would describe as a participation crisis, an extra 3% on an electorate that isn't voting as much would definitely be a welcome addition. On top of that, data from Scotland suggests that 16 and 17 year olds are the most active voters of all the age categories, with 75% voting in the 2014 independence refurendum, and an astounding 97% saying they would vote in a future election. The whole concept of Universal Sufferage is that everyone gets a say. Even though it is obviously an extremity to say that people should be given the right to vote from birth, giving some of the youth the right to vote keeps the element of Universal Sufferage as young adults will finally get a say in the running of the country. By excluding all under 18s, the idea of Universal Sufferage is defeated, as it is only among adults.

To conclude, to stoke further democracy and to make our country one of the most representative countries in the world, for people of all ages and backgrounds, we should absolutely lower the voting age to 16. While there are clear arguments against it, these can just as easily be applied to any age category. Young people have access to a lot of information and with opinions growing stronger, the picture is painting itself clearer and clearer in favour of lowering the voting age. By hooking voters at a young age- they are more likely to be voters for life. It is more representative and is the perfect solution for our rapidly falling voter turnouts. Wilson's rationale for lowering the voting age in 1969 was that times were changing- a mantra we can apply today.