Why younger voters don’t want the vote

Five years ago, when COVID was rampant and Boris Johnson still occupied Number 10, I was 16 and thought I could, probably, rule the world if I wished. I certainly thought I was capable enough to vote. By 17, various government scandals and mishaps only solidified my confidence.

I am a proponent of young people voting. I was too young to vote in the Brexit referendum, but it’s my generation that will, and already is, bearing much of the brunt of its outcome. Climate change issues will disproportionally affect younger people, but only those over the age of 18 currently have a say on change. Giving 16-year-olds the vote will address this imbalance. Studies show that a younger voting age creates life-long political interest.

And yet, following the government’s announcement that it was going to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote, it turned out that 49% of them don’t want it.

As one young person told me, “If I’m not old enough to drink alcohol or drive, then why do you think I’m informed enough to make such big decisions about the country?”

Political literacy is a key issue. “I once had a friend vote for the Brexit party because she didn’t understand what the different parties were,” a friend told me, and, speaking to young people poised to get the vote, this lack of political awareness is a recurring concern. “I don’t know enough about politics to have an opinion,” one person admitted to me.

While some people may trust themselves, there are also doubts about the maturity of their peers. As one girl admitted, “I’m not sure I trust my friends”. The same ITV poll that had almost half of 16 to 17 year olds not wanting the vote, also had Reform as the second most popular party.

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One teacher friend told me she worries social media has made young people lose the nuance of politics. Many 16 year olds may very well follow whoever has the loudest, brashest policies and flock to either end of the spectrum, supporting Reform or Jeremy Corbyn’s rumoured new party and abandoning the centre.

But done with speculating, I turned to someone who had actual experience of voting at 16. In Scotland, the voting age for elections has already been lowered and two-thirds of 16-17 year olds registered to vote in the 2021 Scottish election. When I spoke to a friend about her experience of voting at a young age, she said she thought her positive experience was down to being well informed. Having taken Modern Studies at school, she had learnt about the main parties and felt prepared to make a decision.

For those that are less informed, she worries they won’t vote or if they do they won’t know what they’re voting for. The SNP and Scottish Greens have previously done well with the younger voters, but support for Reform has reached 18% across 16 to 24-year-olds in Scotland, making it the second most popular party in the demographic.

My strong feeling is that many young people don’t feel ready for the responsibility. At least such hesitancy means they understand its significance. The government’s task now should be to empower and educate them so they not only feel capable of making the decision, but they make it well. I still truly believe 16 year olds are capable of voting, but it seems someone needs to tell them that, and equip them with the knowledge to make decisions about their own futures with clarity and confidence.