States Looking at Lowering Voting Age

[WillJ]

Not if they wanted to avoid the demonstrations about being old enough to die for the country, but not old enough to vote..

Good point. Reminds me of that Chris Rock quote [paraphrased]: "We can send an 18 year-old boy off to the middle of a desert to fight for our country for three months, and have him lose a leg, then when he comes back home and needs a drink, the bar won't be able to serve him! A one-legged teenager! That ain't right!"

Is voting a state-by-state thing?

No, its in the Consitution, right?

So these changes are meaningless until enough states - way more than 10 - do them, IIRC...

With the exception of the amendment Bootstoots mentioned, I'm pretty sure voting (even for the presidency) IS a state-by-state thing, for some reason known only to an elite group of Donald Trump look-alikes.

But CG, with the exception of you, WillJ, and other notables, everyone younger than 18 is dumb as crap.

Thank you for thinking I'm not dumb as crap. No, really, that means a lot coming from you. ()

 

[blindside]

If they were to do this, would many 16-17 year olds actually come and vote. I don't think many 18 year olds vote, so I won't worry too much.

 

[Sims2789]

I will not support this. However, if it does occur, I hope that they will not force everyone to vote. You should be able to vote before school, after school and during lunch on voting day. This is to prevent a chunk of the clueless people from voting(clueless people don't care about politics). However, as most people my age don't care about politics, it would be bad to let them vote.

 

[Sims2789]

Well, which 10 states??

San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, West Tahoe, San Jose, Eureka, San Louis Obispo, Palm Springs and Bakersfield.

 

[stratego]

I'm so glad that this is catching on. I think the voting age would be lower.

Or at least allow college students under 18 to vote. You can't make the argument that they're dumb in that case.

 

[EzInKy]

The issue is not so much age as it is responsibility. When a person reaches the age of majority they are expected to be responsible for themselves legally. If enough people want to make that age 16 then that is fine. It would mean two less years that parents are responsible for the feeding and clothing of children, and two more years that current minors can contribute to the tax base.

 

[Archer 007]

CPUSA would get at least 25% of the vote if that were to happen.

On the contrary, I think the Republican vote would skyrocket.

 

[Archer 007]

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution states that citizens of the United States who are eighteen years or older may not be denied the right to vote because of age. It doesn't state that anybody younger than eighteen must be forbidden from voting, so lowering the voting age on a state-by-state basis is apparently constitutional.

Yes, as many states already have voting at 18 before the 26th Amendment. Many states also allow women to vote before it was nationalized.

 

[Archer 007]

But CG, with the exception of you, WillJ, and other notables, everyone younger than 18 is dumb as crap.

It would proboly be us knowledgable ones that would go to the polls.

 

[Guildenstern]

Most people younger than 18 would vote the same as their parents. They don't have independent political leanings yet. And I can also imagine situations where domineering parents actually tell their children how to vote, and threaten with punishment if they vote otherwise. Allowing people under 18 to vote would be, in my opinion, and extremely stupid idea.

Personally I think the voting age ought to be raised again to 21, though the evidence supporting that opinion is purely anecdotal, so I am open to being convinced otherwise. I went through a lot of mental changes between the ages of 18 and 21, and looking back, I think I was extremely immature at 18 (not that I acted like a child, but that my opinions, especially political ones, were not well-thought-out).

Of course, the main argument for leaving the voting age at 18 is that 18-year-olds can be conscripted if a draft is passed by Congress. The idea that someone could be called to give their life for their country when they are not yet allowed to vote is really the ultimate form of "taxation without representation".

 

[zjl56]

I think anyone under 18 should take a test to be able to vote. The test would allow anyone who passed it to vote. Mostly it would probably be on Goverment history, and polatics.

 

[Archer 007]

The idea that someone could be called to give their life for their country when they are not yet allowed to vote is really the ultimate form of "taxation without representation".

Many teens that work part-time jobs pay taxes.

 

[MarineCorps]

But CG, with the exception of you, WillJ, and other notables, everyone younger than 18 is dumb as crap.

Gee thanks.

"There are 16-year-olds who watch the news and read The New York Times daily, so why should they be excluded (from voting)?"

Hmm, I like USA today better myself.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Here in the UK I think the age should be lowered to 16. This is because you can (legally) have sex and thus children at 16, but cannot vote intill you are 18, which I find to be rather strange. It is saying you are mature enough to bring a new life into the world but yet you cannot choose who you would like to represent you politically. Hence, I think here the voting age should be lowerd to 16.

So...apply that the US as well.

Most people younger than 18 would vote the same as their parents. They don't have independent political leanings yet.

I certainally did when I was 16. Now, being 19, i'm the one asking my parents whether they will be voting or not!

 

[amadeus]

I wouldn't trust the future of my nation to teenagers having sex, I'll tell you that much.

"I didn't know I was going to get pregnant! I gots to finish my skools so I can become edjumajicated!" -- there's one welfare voter right there.

 

[Syterion]

I wouldn't trust 16 year olds to vote. They would all vote the same as their parents. I asked one of my friends what he thought of Iraq once, and he said his parents were Republican, so he guesses he is for the war.

I would trust my self to vote, but not others. And having to take a test would sound good, but people would be suing all over the place, saying it was discrimination or some other crap.

 

[zjl56]

The test would be a good idea to me becuase I would like to vote myself but I am only twelve. Even though I can make a legitamate decision. Many others around me I would not trust to vote.

 

[Shadylookin]

I'd rather not have it lowered. Some kids at my high school have totally insane ideas, like we should kill all muslims, drop bombs on iraqi cities and kill innocent people, as well as just a plain extreme (religious)right view on how the world should be ran. Should it be inacted I would vote but I don't think it would do me any good.

 

[Archer 007]

I wouldn't trust the future of my nation to teenagers having sex, I'll tell you that much.

"I didn't know I was going to get pregnant! I gots to finish my skools so I can become edjumajicated!" -- there's one welfare voter right there.

Those people would proboly be too lazy to go to the polls.

 

[Archer 007]

I'd rather not have it lowered. Some kids at my high school have totally insane ideas, like we should kill all muslims, drop bombs on iraqi cities and kill innocent people, as well as just a plain extreme (religious)right view on how the world should be ran. Should it be inacted I would vote but I don't think it would do me any good.

My school is exactly the same.