’Why voting as early as 16 is much better’

Last year, political scientist Sarah de Lange, as a member of the Council for Public Administration, advised the Dutch parliament and government to lower the voting age to 16. She explains why it is important to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote, and how lowering the voting age contributes to the quality of our democracy. You can better support young people who vote earlier . 'In your adolescence, roughly between the ages of 13 and 18, you develop democratic standards and values, as well as your most important political convictions. It's also the period of your life in which your political involvement takes shape. The only thing is, at this age, you have few possibilities to demonstrate this involvement, because you're not allowed to vote yet. Research shows that lowering the voting age makes it easier to foster this involvement, for instance at school.' Lowering the voting age can also lead to greater voter turnout in the future Sarah de Lange 'This way, young people gain experience with political participation in a phase of their life where they are still open to influence, and this increases the chance of them actually voting.