Maddison Blair: Voting at 16 in Northern Ireland makes sense

Since Keir Starmer came out in support of it on his election trail, there has been a lot of discourse, especially online, over whether 16 and 17 year olds are capable of making an educated vote.

Young people are allowed to vote from the age of 16 in countries such Brazil, Austria, Ecuador and, closer to home, in Scotland and Wales. I believe it’s time votes at 16 should be implemented here in Northern Ireland.

Young people are actively engaged in political and social issues. We are capable of making our own decisions, and therefore voting.

16 year olds decide whether they want to leave secondary education or continue to study their A-Levels or other advanced qualifications.

Either way, they are making a decision that will greatly influence what career they can enter or what higher education they can pursue.

In many scenarios, 16 and 17 year olds are already expected to be and, treated as mature adults, such as on public transport where they pay for an adult ticket or when giving consent to treatment in hospital.

16 and 17 year olds can join the military, work full time and pay taxes. If they can fight for their country and contribute to its economy, surely they should have a say in their country’s decisions too. 

An argument often made against votes at 16 is that young people aren’t interested in politics and won’t vote.

However, in countries where there are votes at 16, there is increased voter turnout amongst this age group and the habit of voting is formed earlier.

There was proof of this in the Scottish Independence Referendum where 75 per cent of 16 and 17 year olds voted, as opposed to 54 per cent of 18-24 year olds.

Many 18 year olds are moving away for university or getting a job. Introducing votes during this transitional phase in young people’s lives leads to lower voter turnout rates.

If they’ve just moved to a new area for education or work, 18 year olds might not be familiar with local issues and candidates, or with voting registration systems and requirements.

This has a long-lasting effect; 18 year olds who don’t vote turn into 40 year olds who don’t vote.

Lowering the voting age to 16 would provide a smooth transition between learning about voting in school and putting that knowledge to practice. 

Additionally, there are countless youth organisations in Northern Ireland that are full of young people who are interested in and educated on political matters, such as the Secondary Students Union of Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Youth Forum and the NI Children’s Commissioner Youth Panel - to name just a few. 

Another common argument is that as 16 and 17 year olds aren’t legally adults, they shouldn’t be able to vote.

The brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25 and this, coupled with the lack of poor political education in schools, also makes people critical of 16 and 17 year olds’ ability to vote.

However, evidence shows that when faced with situations that require slow and deliberate consideration, 16 year olds demonstrate judgement as mature as that of adults.

In the weeks before an election, young people have time to talk with friends and family, consider their options and, ultimately, make an informed decision in the voting booth.

Personally, I feel that if 16 and 17 year olds were given a vote, they would become more involved in politics. This may take the form of joining a political party, but youth participation in politics can be much broader than this and is very often non-party political.

Young people are more than capable of educating themselves on political matters and making an educated vote.

This would only be enhanced by improved political education in schools.

I, as a 17 year old, would feel more valued as a citizen and proud to be a member of a society that I had a say in, rather than one that was shaped by other people.

Maddison Blair, 17, a student at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.