Voting Age
The Voting Age Should Stay the Same A controversial idea throughout the US is whether the voting age should be lowered to 16.In many different countries the voting age has been changed to 16 permanently or for a special election. Some people are for the age being lowered.
Those people think it would encourage the younger population, that are 16 and 17 to become more informed about politics and help make an informed decision. Supporters think the teens that the laws will affect should get a say in the decision. Those against the age of voting being lowered have strong and valid concerns. Although lowering the voting age would encourage some teens to become more informed, it might also just increase the number of uninformed voters. Those who argue that if the law is going to directly affect those 16 and 17 year olds when they are older, they should get a say in what happens in their future.
But what happens when they make a big decision about their future when they are uninformed teens and make the wrong decision. They are then having to live with a big problem that could have been avoided had the 18 and older population voted for the law. If these people aren’t allowed to drive or live on their own in many states, why would you let them make life altering decisions? The voting age is 18 for a specific reason, that is when the majority of their life decisions are made and it’s a huge turning point in your life. At 18 they are a legal adult (in most states),they are able to get a tattoo, they can donate blood, buy a lottery ticket and many other things. If I can’t get a tattoo which only affects me ,till I’m 18 why would I be given the right to vote when it affects my state or my entire country? If you need to be 18 to make decisions like getting a tattoo or renting a house, you should be 18 to be able to help make our countries decisions.
So to address this situation I think we should tell the 16 and 17 year olds they can take a test that shows what they know, so we can see if they are informed voters. If they pass the test they can vote on all issues except the president which you must be 18 to vote for. If the teens are really informed they shouldn’t have a problem displaying their knowledge before voting. The test will be graded by computer to prevent bias. This allows those that are informed to vote and have a say in where their country will be in the future.
