Voting Age

Alex; oxytocin.:

Actually, 18 is the age of legal responsibility in the UK (excl. Scotland). And 16- to 18-year-olds are only allowed to move out/marry/enlist in the army if they have parental consent (also excl. Scotland).

Alright, then that makes it a different deal and I have to side with those who are saying no.

Alex; oxytocin.:

Actually, 18 is the age of legal responsibility in the UK (excl. Scotland). And 16- to 18-year-olds are only allowed to move out/marry/enlist in the army if they have parental consent (also excl. Scotland).

And in Scotland, we have free prescriptions and free university. Well, freeish.

It would be a very interesting issue if SNP decide to get the border-cutters up and we become independent.

doesn't matter what the age is, people still don't know what they are voting for

Aaronnn:

doesn't matter what the age is, people still don't know what they are voting for

Can you explain? I'm pretty sure the majority of voters now exactly what they're in favor of and who they want to vote for.

because politicians lie all the time, and there is going to be corruption either way

^ That's a bit of a sweeping generalisation.

doesn't mean it's false

Well actually, yes it does, because you're using the fact that some politicians are corrupt liars, and blanketing politicians in general with it, including the politicians who aren't.

In some places in Germany 16 year olds can vote in local elections. The age group 16 - 18 has higher than average voting percentage.

You never grow up, you just become older.

I believe that the legal voting age should be 16. Just because you don't really grow up. You just get older. Plus we have PLENTY of stupid voters, and people shouldn't have to wait when they have amazing opinions on politics, yet (Not talking to anyone in particular) people that have NO experience with this at all can.

Honestly, I'm going to go lower than probably all of you and say between 13 and 16. At that age quite a bit of us tend to be very opinionated and we want our voices heard. When we get older some people just stop caring and pick a name.

Regrettable Silence:

Honestly, I'm going to go lower than probably all of you and say between 13 and 16. At that age quite a bit of us tend to be very opinionated and we want our voices heard. When we get older some people just stop caring and pick a name.

Being opinionated means jack shit when it comes to the responsibility of voting. I don't think a 13 year old should be hassled with the responsibility of political voting. Their time will come when they're an adult. Let them be children and worry about 13 year old kid stuff. It doesn't mean they can't also have political opinions if they want to, I just think voting should be reserved for adulthood.

veronika:

Being opinionated means jack shit when it comes to the responsibility of voting. I don't think a 13 year old should be hassled with the responsibility of political voting. Their time will come when they're an adult. Let them be children and worry about 13 year old kid stuff. It doesn't mean they can't also have political opinions if they want to, I just think voting should be reserved for adulthood.

I don't think every person that can vote now is politically educated.

veronika:

Being opinionated means jack shit when it comes to the responsibility of voting. I don't think a 13 year old should be hassled with the responsibility of political voting. Their time will come when they're an adult. Let them be children and worry about 13 year old kid stuff. It doesn't mean they can't also have political opinions if they want to, I just think voting should be reserved for adulthood.

I'd say that opinion has everything to do with political survival since apathetic persons of a voting age has no opinion. I'd say that the vast majority of people will give an opinion on anything, regardless or not whether they actually know anything. Not that the actual opinion itself matters.

...Actually I've forgotten what i'm talking about.

Oh wait...i think it's that opinion has everything to do with politics since it seems that it (undeservedly) comprises a far larger amount of "why I'm voting for that person...itude" than actual knowledge of political stuff.

I hope that makes sense, I am failing so much at reading and writing right now.

I don't think a 13 year old should have the power to vote, at all. My sister is 13 and the thoughts of her and her little teenage buddies being allowed vote - good God. The corruption! Not only have they no idea of their countries history in depth at that age, their only just being taught it, but also I don't think they are at the mental age capability of making such important decisions.

Some may say, well a lot of adults don't know jack about their history or have the mental capability but, I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about 13 year olds.

Edward Teach:

Some may say, well a lot of adults don't know jack about their history or have the mental capability but, I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about 13 year olds.

Why not talk about those adults though? If they don't know how anything about politics, why should they have the right to make an educated political decision candidates?

Jewel Nicole:

Why not talk about those adults though? If they don't know how anything about politics, why should they have the right to make an educated political decision candidates?

Because in that particular comment I was discussing 13 year olds.

Jewel Nicole:

Why not talk about those adults though? If they don't know how anything about politics, why should they have the right to make an educated political decision candidates?

Exactly.

My mother for example knows hee-haw (i.e. nada, zilch) about politics.

Essentially, if you know little of the subject, it becomes a simplistic pick-and-choose, eeny-meany-miny-mo thing. A child of 18mths can choose something or prefer one thing to another.

There is no true way of gauging the true political knowledge of any voter. It may as well be reduced since it should at least increase the numbers who do know something.

I don't think that politicians could try and get down wif da yoof without making a complete arse of themselves and alienating the little pipsqueaks in the first place.

river song.:

And in Scotland, we have free prescriptions and free university. Well, freeish.

It would be a very interesting issue if SNP decide to get the border-cutters up and we become independent.

This. I live just over the border, the most Northern point of England actually, but I'm Scottish and go to a Scottish school and my dad lives in Glasgow etc. I fully support this and I wish they'd just do it already.

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Jewel Nicole:

Why not talk about those adults though? If they don't know how anything about politics, why should they have the right to make an educated political decision candidates?

Children, that is under 18s, are protected in most countries nowadays by social benefits, etc etc. However, if you were to alienate a percentage of the adult community, there would be nothing to protect them from being taken advantage of by politicians. Party politics spends the majority of the time earning the support of voters, if the ill-informed or uninformed (which lets point out is mainly lower-income families) weren't offered the vote, politicians would have no motive to work for those people and they would thus be neglected.

What you're saying though, correct me if I'm wrong, is that ideally if you could fairly remove those who have no educated opinion on politics from the voting process you would. So why wouldn't you do so, when you safely can, for younger generations?

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On the subject however, I think the voting age should remain at 18 (or be moved to 18 dependant on where you live). I'm one of the few 16/17 year olds I know who take a genuine interest in politics, or even know the name of the most important of our politicians. I'm not saying that there aren't kids that old able to responsibly vote, but I don't think the majority would. They surveyed and found out a huge percentage of young people in England don't vote (which has implications and perhaps reasons for pro-younger vote). I think this would happen if the vote was dropped, or their parents would coerce them into voting for/raise them with the values/ideologies of a certain party, or (the most likely of the latter two) kids would vote for whoever 'The Sun' or 'The Daily Mail' present to be the best candidate. And let's face it tabloids aren't aimed to be politically aware.

Jewel Nicole:

I don't think every person that can vote now is politically educated.

Neither do I, but I don't think that's a justification for why 13 year olds should be able to vote.