Voting age

[tovaris]

Here in Slovenija the age when one is alover do vote (also buy alcohol, tobaco, drive a car, give blod...) is 18.
Some countries are talking or activly in the proces of lovering that age (like Scotland for examole) to 16.
What is your opinion on this tooic? Do you agre vith lovering the vote age? Do you think there should be un upper limit of when one is too old?

My opinion is that 18 is yust low enouth and that people over 80 (80 is the age when you have to renew your drivers licence in Slovenija) should take certan „mental fitnes” tests (like if they stil think strate).

[whatapro169]

I don't think they should lower the age. The frontal part of your brain(where you make decisions) is still in development into your late 20's. Lowering the age, to an age where they arent fully developed seems risky as they havent really had time to see things as they would as an adult. They might not even know what the heck is going on. I dont know, it just seems stupid to me.

[Twilly F. Sniper]

I think they should keep it at 18. They just get out of high school and the're 8 years from their IQ peak. They might make rash decisions, but they aren't stupid. At 15 or 16, you haven't even taken economics. You don't know definitively which candidate will do more good for our country.

[Danny_boi 16]

I feel that the voting age of 18 in the US a good idea; however, I believe that the drinking age in our country should be lowered.

[xmojox]

I personally believe it should be lowered, and no, I don't believe there should be an upper limit.

[Human]

raise it to 21 so less people vote for the raving monster loony party:P

[Southside]

I personally believe it should be lowered, and no, I don't believe there should be an upper limit.

Nah, its some high schoolers who cant even name the past two presidents..

[Reanne]

I think 18 for voting

[xmojox]

Nah, its some high schoolers who cant even name the past two presidents..

Lots of adults can't either, and being informed or educated isn't a requirement for being able to vote...

[roadwarrior]

18 is good though

[Southside]

Lots of adults can't either, and being informed or educated isn't a requirement for being able to vote...

Its not required,but it sure helps to be informed on the person your voting for.

[xmojox]

Its not required,but it sure helps to be informed on the person your voting for.

I don't disagree with you at all, in fact, I think it's really important. It's just not a good argument against a lower voting age.

[Southside]

I don't disagree with you at all, in fact, I think it's really important. It's just not a good argument against a lower voting age.

Its not, but you wouldnt want a bunch of high school age children just punching random buttons in the voting booth would you?

[xmojox]

Its not, but you wouldnt want a bunch of high school age children just punching random buttons in the voting booth would you?

It's more likely that anyone who went to the trouble to vote would attempt to do so intelligently and responsibly. Why do you think people would just punch random buttons, as you say?

[Stronger]

I think 18 is a good age for voting, anything less would be too young.

[xmojox]

I think 18 is a good age for voting, anything less would be too young.

Elaborate please? Why would it be too young?

[Stronger]

Elaborate please? Why would it be too young?

At a younger age, they could not really understand who to vote for, or they are just too immature to vote, no I'm not saying every single kid is like that, but I just feel it should be 18.

[xmojox]

I respect your belief, but may I point out that an adult with a child-like mental capacity may vote unhindered.

[Harry Smith]

I'm perfectly happy with keeping it at 18, but the think is that if it becomes a serious issue there aren't really any good counter arguments for not lowering it to 16. I mean over here we can smoke at 16( can't buy though) sleep with our MP, marry our MP but we can't vote for our MP

[naglfari]

i think the main reason its 18 isn't just that we're too young, it's also so that you aren't just voting for whoever your parents tell you to

[xmojox]

i think the main reason its 18 isn't just that we're too young, it's also so that you aren't just voting for whoever your parents tell you to

Political views tend to run in families anyhow, so the same could be said for nearly anyone. And, besides, that's why we have a secret ballot, isn't it?

[naglfari]

I guess.my political views are definitely different than my parents

[xmojox]

I guess.my political views are definitely different than my parents

When women were trying to get the right to vote, one of the main arguments against it was that they would likely just vote how their husband's told them to.

Since your politics are different from your parents, would your parents influence your vote if you had one?

[naglfari]

No but I'm more political than many people. And a lot of people are just repeating whatever dumb thing their dad said. But hey I'd loved to have voted in the last election.

[xmojox]

No but I'm more political than many people. And a lot of people are just repeating whatever dumb thing their dad said. But hey I'd loved to have voted in the last election.

I kinda think the people who aren't political wouldn't bother, just like non-political adults. I would've loved to have voted, as well.

[Jean Poutine]

Can I just say that, like, I think it's totally freaky, OP, how your grammar is actually of a very good level but your spelling is all over the place.

Truck on.

[Jess]

I kinda think the people who aren't political wouldn't bother, just like non-political adults. I would've loved to have voted, as well.

Same here...I'm of age but I'm STILL not a citizen. >_> it really sucks.

I think 18 is a good enough age. It doesn't need to be lowered...

[xmojox]

Same here...I'm of age but I'm STILL not a citizen. >_> it really sucks.

I think 18 is a good enough age. It doesn't need to be lowered...

How much longer do you have to wait?

Lots of people thought 21 was a good enough age and it didn't need to be lowered. I'd be interested to know the reason for your opinion.

[Jess]

How much longer do you have to wait?

Lots of people thought 21 was a good enough age and it didn't need to be lowered. I'd be interested to know the reason for your opinion.

Several years. :(

I should just move to Canada where I'm a citizen. I was born there after all

EDIT: Okay, I don't think it should be lowered because 18 is the age where you're basically considered an independent adult, and 16...is I don't know, not mature enough (yes, I know there are very mature 16 year olds)

[xmojox]

Several years. :(

I should just move to Canada where I'm a citizen. I was born there after all

EDIT: Will post my reason for my opinion once I get my thoughts organized >_<

I have several years to wait, too. I hate waiting, but at least you have an option.

Take your time. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I'm going to the ballpark this afternoon...it's the home opener...so I won't be able to reply until later anyhow.

Edit: As I pointed out earlier, an adult with a mental disability giving him or her a mental age under 18 is free to vote, so long as his or her chronological age is 18 or older.

[Kuurachan]

Well I was ready to vote by the time I was 13, since my education levels were definitely not lacking. What I don`t understand is why a person would need to be 18 in the first place. It`s not like a younger person`s vote doesn`t matter or those above 18 won`t make stupid mistakes. Personally, I approve of the idea and hope it happens in America. It would certainly get younger people actually interested in government and possibly heighten their sense of judgment.

[Jean Poutine]

Well I was ready to vote by the time I was 13, since my education levels were definitely not lacking. What I don`t understand is why a person would need to be 18 in the first place. It`s not like a younger person`s vote doesn`t matter or those above 18 won`t make stupid mistakes. Personally, I approve of the idea and hope it happens in America. It would certainly get younger people actually interested in government and possibly heighten their sense of judgment.

Your reasoning is backwards. If you were ready to vote when you were 13 then you can figure out why on your own.

[Kuurachan]

Your reasoning is backwards. If you were ready to vote when you were 13 then you can figure out why on your own.

-_- I dunno understand your logic.

[Jean Poutine]

-_- I dunno understand your logic.

The voting age is as high as it is precisely because teens aren't interested in politics.

One does not give away a responsibility hoping it will breed the correct behavior to exercise it. In other terms, you do not buy a dog to a kid hoping that will motivate him to take care of it. First, you ask for proof that he's responsible enough, then you buy the dog. Not the other way around.

[Ryhanna]

I don't think the voting age should be lowered. 18 is fine.

There are definitely a lot of smart kids out there, but I do feel like most kids are too immature to handle such a responsibility. You may think you're super intelligent and mature during your early-mid teens, but you'd be surprised how much you can learn and grow in a few short years.

[Kuurachan]

The voting age is as high as it is precisely because teens aren't interested in politics.

One does not give away a responsibility hoping it will breed the correct behavior to exercise it. In other terms, you do not buy a dog to a kid hoping that will motivate him to take care of it. First, you ask for proof that he's responsible enough, then you buy the dog. Not the other way around.

Whatever, I was just trying to make a point that not all of the teens under 18 were not interested in politics.

[Bethany]

I would support the voting age being lowered, but I'm not sure how low it should be.

After all, teenagers will have to live with the decisions made by our politicians (it's going to be our generation paying off the US debt, not the generation of older politicians raising the debt), so I feel as though it's unfair to deny the right to vote to teenagers, as the decisions politicians make will effect us for many years. Also, I doubt many teenagers would "just vote for anyone", as those who weren't interested in politics likely wouldn't be motivated to get to the polls (which I suppose is true for any age group).

I think I would support a voting age of fifteen.

[Aves]

If you ask me, the voting age needs to be raised. 18 is too young, especially in today's society where most 18 year-olds ride on the coat tails of their parents still. Also, at 18 you still are not set in your ways. I think that the scary fact is that we allow people who are uneducated on the candidates to vote and punish those who don't vote. In the United States, I can assure most people vote off of purely Republican or Democrat. I have no proof, but I feel this is most true in the ages between 18-21.

[Jean Poutine]

Whatever, I was just trying to make a point that not all of the teens under 18 were not interested in politics.

People sure give up easily, don't they?

[Kuurachan]

People sure give up easily, don't they?

Yeah, cause I got better things to do. ( p.s I would be careful on who you consider to be "people")

[xmojox]

The voting age is as high as it is precisely because teens aren't interested in politics.

One does not give away a responsibility hoping it will breed the correct behavior to exercise it. In other terms, you do not buy a dog to a kid hoping that will motivate him to take care of it. First, you ask for proof that he's responsible enough, then you buy the dog. Not the other way around.

It isn't a fair measuring stick. There's no requirement that adults be interested in politics in order to be able to exercise their right to vote. Note please that I said right and not responsibility, although I do consider exercise of that right to be a great responsibility.

None of the measures that people are applying to those of us under 18 are applied to those who have passed that magical age. There is no maturity requirement, nor are there requirements for intelligence, education, life experience, or even employment and payment of taxes. All that's required is to be 1) a citizen, and, 2) 18 or older.

If a person under 18 has an income, that person certainly has to file taxes, and yet is unable to vote to select the people who decide how those taxes are spent. Isn't that taxation without representation?

I submit that the application of standards not used for adults does not give those under 18 equal protection under the law.

[Bethany]

If you ask me, the voting age needs to be raised. 18 is too young, especially in today's society where most 18 year-olds ride on the coat tails of their parents still. Also, at 18 you still are not set in your ways. I think that the scary fact is that we allow people who are uneducated on the candidates to vote and punish those who don't vote. In the United States, I can assure most people vote off of purely Republican or Democrat. I have no proof, but I feel this is most true in the ages between 18-21.

Actually, young people 18-26 are much more likely to identify as independent than older people, which likely means they aren't just voting off political party affiliation.

If you waited until people were set in their political identities to allow them to vote, you might be waiting forever: people's opinions and views on political issues still change throughout adulthood.

[Jean Poutine]

It isn't a fair measuring stick. There's no requirement that adults be interested in politics in order to be able to exercise their right to vote. Note please that I said right and not responsibility, although I do consider exercise of that right to be a great responsibility.

It isn't fair but it is the only one we've got. We need a measuring stick. The requirements to vote aren't about keeping people from making stupid decisions, they are about instituting as fair of a yardstick as possible to differentiate people that are "ready" to vote and "not ready" to vote.

Voting isn't a right, it is a responsibility. I do not recognize any inherent right to vote.

None of the measures that people are applying to those of us under 18 are applied to those who have passed that magical age. There is no maturity requirement, nor are there requirements for intelligence, education, life experience, or even employment and payment of taxes. All that's required is to be 1) a citizen, and, 2) 18 or older.

Because we aren't going to go through the whole eligible population every 4 years to administer them a battery of tests to make sure that they have the maturity required to vote. That would cost untold amounts of time and money to an already bloated process. An age requirement greatly simplifies things and allows the process to run its due course with minimal discrimination.

If a person under 18 has an income, that person certainly has to file taxes, and yet is unable to vote to select the people who decide how those taxes are spent. Isn't that taxation without representation?

Nope because minors are represented through the tutelage and administration of their parents. When a minor files in court it's a tutor (mostly parents) that has to "represent" (not as a lawyer) the minor in front of the court. That doesn't mean that the minor doesn't have the right to go to the courts to defend a right he thinks he has. When minors sign contracts or papers, no matter their importance, either the tutor signs in their stead or co-signs. That doesn't mean the minor cannot validly enter a contract. The relationship between tutor and tutoree is what keeps this from being "taxation without representation" even if the kid is paying income tax because the tutoree is represented by the political action of his/her tutor, ie. their vote counts for him too.

It's just part of being a kid. I am literally clueless as to why so many of you want to grow up so quickly. The alternative is much less amusing than one might think.

I submit that the application of standards not used for adults does not give those under 18 equal protection under the law.

I raise to thee R v Oakes (http://canlii.ca/t/1ftv6) maintaining that basic rights can be infringed upon by the government when its justification is acceptable in the scope of a free and democratic society.

Which, in this case, certainly is.