I am writing to you today to express my frustrations with Canada’s federal voting age of 18. I believe that the voting age should be lowered to the age of 16 so our youth feels like their opinions matter, and they can contribute to making a difference in their communities.
I believe that if we get our youth voting while they are in high school, they will have a great understanding of each party through our education system in classes like political studies. In 2019, 66 per cent of Canadians that could voted. I believe that if the school system encourages students to vote, they will get in the habit of voting, and the percentage of voters will go up considerably as the years go by.
These teenagers have some of the same responsibilities as adults, like paying taxes, and they can enroll in the army by the age of 16. If it is fair to do all of that by that age, it is fair to give them a voice. They are the future of the country and should have a say in the regulations that will affect their lives.
At the age of 16, our youth are mature enough and educated enough about who is running to vote for whom they believe would be best suited to run the country. These teenagers understand the significance of their vote through the education system, and hopefully, we can push for this change in the coming years for the greater good of our country.
Yahya Sefau,
UPEI student
