Voting at 16: More youth participation in politics is urgently needed

In Germany, the current age to vote in national elections is 18. Last year, the rise of youth protests and movements brought up an old debate on lowering the voting age to 16. What do you think about this?    

Willy Brandt promoted lowering the age to vote from 21 to 18 years with the slogan: Daring more democracy. I believe that democrats are not born but developed with the help of good education and confidence in their own abilities and their own voices. Voting (besides others) is an important tool to experience democracy and to develop self-efficacy by observing how your own voice can shape society.  

Young people are experts on what they need: So let’s ask them what they want. Because of the demographic development, most political decisions are based on the voice of older people. These decisions and their consequences affect young people today as well as in the future. 

Many have argued that people under 18 would be overwhelmed with this task. I do not see it that way. Many people as young as 16 pay taxes, have jobs, and are held responsible for their actions. If we are so afraid of youngsters not being ready, let’s make sure they are prepared by implementing sufficient hands-on political education at school and beyond. You are never too young or too old to learn how to participate in a democratic system. Some states have already applied a voting age of 16 for decisions on a state level, for example Brandenburg, reporting high voter turnout and interest in daily politics in the youngest age group. 

What could political parties do to be more attractive for the youth? 

When one of our projects isn’t enhancing participation the way we intended, we evaluate and restructure it, with the participation of the target group. So here are some of the lessons we have learned:  

Politicians and political parties should start to take young people and their interest more seriously. The opinions of the young, for example regarding school education or climate change, are often neither respected nor taken into consideration. I would tell parties to be open to topics young people are interested in, and give them space and proper attention. Invite young experts with diverse backgrounds – and yes, there are some - and change up old patterns.  

In addition, there need to be other ways for young people to communicate with politicians and within parties. Apparently just having youth organizations is not enough. Chose formats young people are interested in, such as more participatory formats like Barcamps and Open Space Formats. Political parties could also use social media to communicate better to a younger audience and build on digital solutions that are already used by young people. Is there really nothing better out there than email by now? (Spoiler: There is.) 

Furthermore, politicians are experts in standing up for their opinions, leading difficult discussions and networking. These are soft skills young people can apply in their personal lives as well as their careers. Making these skills available, for example in workshops, can spark interest in joining politics and make politicians approachable.  

Youth participation takes time and effort, but it’s important to remember: It is always a win-win situation. Political parties as well as the communities and spaces they shape gain great value when young people are involved - in the present as well as in the future.