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'Older people are voting on our behalf and it's not fair'

BBC a girl in Shimna College uniform, photographed on the beach at NewcastleBBC
Orla wants the voting age to be lowered

As people across the UK prepare to cast their vote on 4 July, some political parties have said this general election should be the last where 16 and 17-year-olds are not eligible.

Currently, the youngest someone can vote in a general election is 18.

That has led to disappointment among 17-year-old A-Level politics students at Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, County Down, some of whom are missing out on the chance to have their say by a matter of days.

Ella-Rose turns 18 on 14 July, 10 days after the general election.

“It is so frustrating. I registered and everything but I won’t be able to vote,” she said.

Ella-Rose a pupil at Shimna Integrated College
Ella-Rose is 10 days too young to vote in the general election

“I feel like governments don’t focus on younger people and that goes for the voting age too. They focus on the over 65s with pensions and we’ve had talk of national service but that’s not what the youth want.

“We want tuition fees lowered, we want car insurance lowered, we want living to be cheaper. We’re not thinking about our pensions yet, if we even get one.

“I want to be able to share my views.”

'It's our future'

Orla, another Shimna student, said young people were politically aware.

“Maybe it’s just Northern Ireland specific but we’ve grown up around politics. It’s hard not to be politically aware, where we’re from. Politics is all around us," she said.

“The fact that we can’t vote when we know so much about politics at a young age, is very disappointing. We are educated in it and I feel like I know more than some adults.

“Not being able to share our views on our future is ridiculous. Older people are voting for us and it’s just not fair.”

Molly a pupil at Shimna Integrated College
Molly says it's unfair that under-18s cannot vote

Molly said the voting age should “100% be lowered”.

“We are the future and we should be voting on issues that are relevant to us like education, tuition fees and universities.

“It feels very unfair,” she said.

Caiti a pupil from Shimna Integrated College
Caiti from Shimna Integrated College

Caiti said: “It’s frustrating. I really love politics and it’s annoying that you can’t have your say.

“I think people are more educated on politics now with social media, and generally we grow up around politics here.

“We would be very willing to vote and get our thoughts across because older people are voting for the issues that affect us.

“By the time the next general election comes around we will be adults in the workplace, and will have already lived through lots of decisions we’ve had no say on at all.”