LOWERING THE VOTING AGE

Apr 27, 2018 Editorial, Features / Columnists

In a representative democracy such as Guyana, voting is part of the political process and is also the method by which the citizens of countries elect their representatives to govern them. Over the years, the voting age has been lowered from 21 years to 18 in many countries including Guyana. However, today, many believe that the voting age should be further reduced from 18 years to 16 years so that more youths who are the majority of the population can participate in the electoral process.
Reducing the voting age to 16 years was not on the agenda or a priority for the last administration, but one wonders whether the present government will take that bold step of reducing the voting age to 16 years.
There is no doubt that such a move would be provocative and would overturn decades of political tradition. But it will allow for greater participation in the country’s democratic process by youths. It seems likely that some people will argue that 16-year-olds are too inexperienced and too young to make informed decisions and therefore should not be taken seriously or given the responsibility to elect a government.
Such opinion is not supported by research, but it would be groundbreaking for Guyana. There are many countries such as Brazil, Austria, Malta, Nicaragua, Ecuador, among others that have reduced the voting age to 16 years.
Studies have shown that there is no significant difference in the cognitive brain development or capabilities between an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old.They are both capable of the reasoned, deliberate decision-making process involved in voting. The studies noted that the best predictor to determine if someone will vote is whether they voted previously, and that the age of 18 is a time of disruption and transition away from home into the workforce or college.
It is not an optimum time to get young people into the habit of voting. According to the studies, high school provides a more supportive environment, especially when paired with civic lessons.
Contrary to public opinion, being 16 years old is a period of relative stability when young people are invested in their communities and are learning about civic engagement in school and society. Therefore, lowering the voting age to 16 years can create a habit of voting and increase overall turnout in later years.
Guyana like many other democratic countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere have inherited an electoral system that has seen a low voter turnout. It is rooted on the voting age of 18. This has certainly underscored the point that if youths are sensitized to the importance of voting, they will cultivate the knowledge and practice of voting at an early age and it will augur well for the future.
The fact is some young people are more politically wise and even more informed than many older people.
That said, false arguments can be made to disenfranchise any group of people, as was evidenced in the past in the United States and several colonies when blacks, the landless, and women were not allowed to vote. The truth is the government has good grounds on which to lower the voting age, given the fact that the age of having consensual sex has recently been increased from 13 years to 16 years.
The question is will the government have the political will to take the revolutionary step of lowering the voting age to 16 or continue with the status quo.

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