Outline the case for Votes at 16

In Modern time we have seen the voting system become fairer and simpler in order to incorporate all members of society. From giving Women the right to vote many citizens have believed that the voting age should in fact be lowered from the current standard EU Law of 18, to the minor age of 16. The idea of this vote has been popular among citizens however it seems to be less popular among the older generations.

Firstly if young people were given the opportunity to vote then it would allow them to engage more within their society. So in theory if more teenagers feel that they are part of the community then we could expect to see a drastic fall in national crime rates for this age bracket. It makes sense for young people to develop a political opinion whilst they are young and it would ensure that the vote represents a wider society therefore making the political system fairer.

At the age of 16 many young people have completed their education and therefore it would make sense for them to be allowed to vote. By the age of 16 they would have been able to form options and does Article 21 of the UN Human Rights list state that every citizen (regardless of age) has the right for their voice to be heard and for action to be taken accordingly.

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By the age of 16 young people can enrol themselves to serve HM Armed Forces. Therefore if a 16 year old can serve their country, be offering their life then why are they not allowed to vote?

Stopping 16 year olds from voting could be classified as discrimination, for a particular group of society are being shunned away due to personal characteristics.

Currently a 16 year old can be tried in an Adult Court of Law and sentenced to terms in Adult Prisons. This seems unfair if teenagers do not have the right or ability to question acts of law, in means of voting in a general election. The voice of young people is being shunned away.

At the age of 16 the law provides teenagers with the right to leave school and move away from home. These abilities are far more serious than voting due to the fact that the will have huge effects on the person’s later life.

I believe that society has rejected the idea of students voting due to the fact that they are being stereotypical. In my opinion society look upon teenagers as outcast thugs whom destroy society. As we begin a chapter in modern politics it is time that we leave these views behind and accept that in fact a huge majority of 16 year olds are in fact strong and educated members of society.

Many students at the age of 16 will begin a new chapter into adulthood consequently these students will go out into the world of work. Despite not being able to vote the students will still have to pay taxes! This seems unjust when you consider that they do not have the ability to vote for what they believe to be the fairer tax policy.

Young people are the future of this country and therefore they should have the ability to input what they want they would like their society to be like within the future. If a student was to vote at the age of 16 then by the age of 20 a government would have already have shaped their future. I believe that a 16 year old has a stronger right to vote over perhaps a 70 year old for they are the future of tomorrow.

It is amazing that despite years of education and a number of new rights 16 year olds can not vote in an election, these seems unjust considering that they are subject to the laws that Parliament makes and they would be subject to paying tax if they were to work. The exclusion of 16 year olds from the ballot boxes is discrimination and a deprivation of a basic international human right.

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