Does Age Really Matter in Voting? A Global Comparison
By: Khushee Somaiya
IST — Tanzania
Around the world, the age at which citizens are allowed to vote varies, and this difference raises the question: Does the voting age actually matter?
Most countries set the voting age at 18, recognizing it as the age people legally become adults. For example, Tanzania, Kenya, the USA, and the UK all allow voting at the normal age of 18. Indonesia and Japan both allow people to vote from the age of 17, and Austria, Brazil, and Argentina allow people to vote from the age of 16! Even though in all these countries the ages vary, there is no single “correct” age for voting; each country makes its design based on multiple factors like history, culture, education, and politics.
Does the voting age really matter, though?
Having a lower voting age that people can vote means that more young people can participate, letting our youth, who will after all be running the country, bring more focus on youth issues and things from their perspective. Research shows that 16-17-year-olds can vote as responsibly as adults, especially when schools include civic education and teach them how elections work. This means lowering the voting age could create a more informed generation of voters and a more representative democracy. On the other hand, having the voting age keeping the voting age at 18 is also beneficial because many people argue that older teens have more experience, maturity, and independence to make a well-informed political decision. At 18, most individuals have also finished mandatory schooling, entered the workforce or higher education, and are better able to understand the long-term consequences of policies. This can ensure more thoughtful and stable decision-making in elections. Overall, whether the voting age should be lowered or kept at 18 depends on individual countries and what their society values most. Either way, both sides aim to protect democracy by either including more voices earlier or trying to ensure voters are mature and well informed, so the best age depends on what the individual countries believe will create the fairest and most responsible voting system for them.
