- Question
Should the voting age be 16?
Traditionally, the legal age for voting is 18. However, as more and more teenagers become politically active, calls have increased for the voting age to decrease to 16 so that older teenagers can vote. Should 16- and 17-year-olds be allowed to have their voice heard politically? Or are they simply not mature enough?
Yes, the age should be lowered
This position holds that the voting age should be lowered to 16. It argues that 16-year-olds already carry adult responsibilities yet cannot vote, that they are capable of forming reasoned opinions, and that engaging citizens earlier strengthens democracy by including more voices.
No, the voting age is fine as it is
This position holds that the voting age should stay at 18. It argues that adult responsibilities and their weight only begin to register around eighteen, that this is when a person can be drafted, and that eighteen is the legal threshold of adulthood at which a say in adult issues belongs.
No, the age requirement should be raised
This position holds that the voting age should be raised, not lowered. It argues that the brain is not fully developed until around 25, that young people are easily manipulated, that 18-29-year-olds already vote at low rates, and that voting should require some life experience.