Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

No.  Parents would be pushing their children to vote the way they voted, and unless those 16-year-olds are going off to war (or are at least willing to go), they shouldn't be voting.

[Vepres]

Heh, I wouldn't trust anybody 16-17 I know personally to be an informed voter.

So all 16-17 year olds must suffer because you choose to associate with ignorant ones?

The vast majority would vote the way their parents did. Besides research has shown that key areas of the brain related to decision making are still developing in the vast majority of 16-17 year-olds.

[Beet]

When does a person reach peak political wisdom? Probably around age 55. After that you kind of start to get too sentimental and aren't as sharp.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Heh, I wouldn't trust anybody 16-17 I know personally to be an informed voter.

So all 16-17 year olds must suffer because you choose to associate with ignorant ones?

The vast majority would vote the way their parents did. Besides research has shown that key areas of the brain related to decision making are still developing in the vast majority of 16-17 year-olds.

Can't say I'm particularly interested in your baseless conjecture about a clear issue of civil rights.

[useful idiot]

Hell, I'd raise it back to 21. If you're going to put forth the argument that if someone is old enough to go to war then they should be able to vote, in my mind the logical conclusion is to raise the age required to join the military, not lower the voting age...

[Vepres]

Heh, I wouldn't trust anybody 16-17 I know personally to be an informed voter.

So all 16-17 year olds must suffer because you choose to associate with ignorant ones?

The vast majority would vote the way their parents did. Besides research has shown that key areas of the brain related to decision making are still developing in the vast majority of 16-17 year-olds.

Can't say I'm particularly interested in your baseless conjecture about a clear issue of civil rights.

Since when should non-adults be able to vote? As far as the law is concerned, the parents are basing part of their vote on their childrens' interests, so that is how minors are represented.

YOU could probably vote in an informed way, but I doubt relatively many 16-17 year-olds could, even when compared to college-age voters.

[Phony Moderate]

Heh, I wouldn't trust anybody 16-17 I know personally to be an informed voter.

So all 16-17 year olds must suffer because you choose to associate with ignorant ones?

The vast majority would vote the way their parents did. Besides research has shown that key areas of the brain related to decision making are still developing in the vast majority of 16-17 year-olds.

My dad has voted Lib Dem in the last two elections, my mum has voted Labour, and i'd vote Green.

[Хahar 🤔]

Heh, I wouldn't trust anybody 16-17 I know personally to be an informed voter.

And adults are different?

[Free Palestine]

Here's an idea: no voting age.  All you have to do is pass a test to determine if you have the necessary intellect required to make an informed decision.

[Mechaman]

No, the voting age should be lowered to zero.

[useful idiot]

Here's an idea: no voting age.  All you have to do is pass a test to determine if you have the necessary intellect required to make an informed decision.

In theory it sounds good. Two problems arise however:

1) Subjectivity. No matter how unbiased the test is, someone will complain, justified or not. Who would decide what's on the test? Federally or locally? It leaves the door wide open for arguments over definitions and fairness. If it were decided by local election boards, who is to say we wouldn't see something akin to modern Jim Crow popping up in less enlightened parts of the country? I'm sure courts across the country would be flooded with allegations of unfair tests and mis-worded questions. If it were to be implemented on a federal level, I could see similar complaints about regional and linguistic issues.

2) The last several decades have seen the ruling elite become less diverse in their views. Who is to say that the two parties, who often work together to gerrymander districts, wouldn't to some extent try to clamp down on ideologically diverse groups of voters and label them unqualified to vote through ridiculous questions.

[MK]

NO.