A person’s right to vote is not contingent on their life experience, education, or how others perceive their maturity. There’s no test of knowledge or intelligence required to cast your vote, and that’s for a good reason: In a democracy, every voice matters, everyone deserves the right to vote and be heard.

 

16 and 17-year-olds are no different. Excluding them simply because of assumptions about age undermines the fundamental principles of democracy. If we believe in equal rights and fair representation, we should extend the vote to young people too.

 

This discussion is often followed by the question: “But why set the voting age at 16 and not younger?” Read the reason about the breach of 16 year-old’s human rights and the reason on cognitive development.