Show of Hands

That didn't go over well the last time we tried it.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_test

I said this before myself, I believe you should understand how government and politics works in general before voting.

Well hell, why don't we let dogs,dead people and fictional character vote.


Oh that right we do.

Idk what world you're living in, but how about you stay there. It's no secret that younger people tend vote democratic so any effort to raise the voting age is (yet another) attempt to disenfranchise the democratic vote.

Or maybe the we don't want youth who are just finding their way in the world to vote on the crucial issues they may be ignorant about

Ignorance is clearly not limited to the youth. We all live in the same country, under the same government as equals. We are all directly effected by the law and therefore we have the right to voice our opinion in the form of a vote.

Exactly. How about we stop trying to take the vote away from people and start focusing on how we can improve our country.

Rightway: there are just as many 30 or 49 year olds that vote on things they have no idea about as 18 year olds.

Tarheel: The argument you use really has no basis in logic. By your understanding we should let not only 18 yr olds vote, but 16, or even children. After all we're all governed as equals right? Nonetheless y'all are missing the point,

a 18 yr old isn't even psychologically mature yet: the human brain does not finish maturing until the mid-20s. this is why, even though you can drink in pubs or legally engage in sexual intercourse in your mid to late teens, or kill for your country

, no one will lend you a car – without huge insurance costs – before you hit 25. Young adults are not fully mature, and are far more likely to make less than wise decisions.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141164708

No, that's just because younger people typically have less driving experience and are thus more likely to get in accidents and the rental companies don't want to deal with higher insurance. It's ridiculous, though.

I think the same... We should lower the voting age... A person is mature enough at that age to decide....

So should we set the draft age at 21 again, or do you think both ages should be 18?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_Training_and_Service_Act_of_1940

They should do away with the draft and have an all volunteer army. It is pure sexism to only require males to sign up for the draft. Why aren't the liberals demanding equality?

In 1981, the Supreme Court upheld the male-only draft because "women are excluded from combat." Now, women are permitted to serve in combat roles, so I guess this is going to change.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostker_v._Goldberg

I would allow for leniency on the ages, 18 or 21, but I feel it is wildly hypocritical for the govt to proclaim that a young man or woman is old enough to make a uniformed decision that could result in his/her death, but not a...

decision that could result in an undesirable politician. Simply absurd...in my opinion

I know 40 year olds like that and many 18 years not like that. Common sense is not a prerequisite for voting regardless.

That's true but we cannot prevent those 40 year olds from voting. It's not like we can ask them to take a test before voting. I think there are too many who will throw out an opinion without having considered the subject. Look at how many think ...

...the Oregon education on credit from the tax payers is a good idea. Read the comments, a lot of people haven't considered basic issues.

Nor do I think we should prevent the 18 year olds from voting. Especially not when we allow the cars, guns, to be in the military, etc....

Several European countries have a very successful similar system for college education. Is not a new, untested design.

The same is true when you're 21, or 34, or 67.

People generally gain experience with age. That was my only point.

@bmycomrade: yes there are outliers in each group, but a 18 year old is far more likely to be ignorant of many political issues than someone who's had to deal with them their whole adult life.

I went to school in Europe and I wouldn't exactly call it successful. A lot of people go through an education and still end up with no job because there's no job in that field.
You end up with a starved system because the tax payers are not ready ...

... Or willing to fund more. Everyone is allowed in but the standard gets lowered because there's not enough money.

@rightway, then we need to stop considering them adults in other arenas. If they aren't mature enough to cast a vote, then they aren't mature enough to make far more powerful life decisions like marriage or the military. I teach, I trust them to vote

@bmycomrade: oh I agree! 18 yr olds shouldn't get to decide many decisions they do now, but small personal things, like marriage, that don't affect the rest of us shouldn't be a problem. www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141164708

take away the vote from anyone who is deemed to be mentally deficient in some fashion.

If marriage is a small personal thing, why did DOMA even exist??? I disagree that "full maturity" of the brain should affect how we treat them. It's disenfranchisement and makes mental state a prerequisite for voting, which sets precedent to

Before we continue did you post those comments backwards? I'm somewhat confused.

I would have to say I agree more with Arkansas idea:
16 -- driving age
18 -- contract age & age of consent
19 -- drinking age
21 -- marriage age & military age
25 -- voting age

Bleh, the new update does that sometimes, so yes, they are flipped.

I think if they can sign a contract (which btw is all that marriage is legally) or join the military it is straight up disenfranchisement to not allow them a vote. If the decisions of politicians can send them to war, they ought have a say by voting

DOMA is a different thing entirely dealing with gay marriage If two hetero 18 yr olds get married it won't affect the rest of us. And by your mentally deficient argument children should vote but we know they aren't fully mature yet.

Sorry I got the comments a bit out of order :p anyway children and teens have decisions made for them by parents and politicians all the time and they have no say in them.

Not by my argument no. They are not allowed other responsibilities that 18 year olds are.
And how does two homosexual people wanting to be married affect the rest of us?

A 40-year-old is usually more competent than an 18-year-old.

Of course they are, they are more than twice in age! That doesn't mean that we shouldn't allow an 18 year old a vote. And really 'competent in what' is the real question. What makes you competent to vote? Should we judge that at all? It's a right.

They are more competent in almost everything.

What does it matter if voting is a right? People think marriage is a right, yet we do not allow 12-year-olds to marry. Creating legal distinctions based on age is an accepted and acceptable practice.

A distinction is important, but it should logically match with other legal distinctions of similar weight. Marriage, military, ie legal adulthood. If our legal system views them capable of those, then a vote should follow suit. Or change all the ages

Why do you consider those "legal distinctions of similar weight"? Politics affects people more directly than any of the things you mention.

And since it affects 18 year olds just as much as 40 year olds, they should have an equal say.

So what? The law affects 8-year-olds just as much as it affects 80-year-olds. Neither 8-year-olds nor 80-year-olds have jobs. Education concerns the former, pensions concern the latter, and both groups make frequent visits to the doctor.

Because prefrontal cortex development shouldn't be the only factor in voting.

The 8 year old is dependent on its parents for everything, so it is fair that the parents will vote in their interests. An 18 year old is more independent, if not completely. They can work, live on their own, pay taxes, get married,

serve in the military, but you propose that they shouldn't have a say in their government?

And a 25-year-old is more independent than an 18-year-old, whereas an 80-year-old is often dependent on others.

The voting age should be based on mental maturity, not physical maturity or independence.

If you're mentally mature enough to consent to die for your country and pay taxes, then you're mentally mature enough to vote. No question.

Sixteen-year-olds who work pay the income tax, and people younger than that pay the sales tax. Should the voting age be even younger than 18?

I think it should be 16....

What's that suppose to mean? :( lol

The brain is not fully developed until 25.

Yes...it's weird that many adults havnt gotten their head check. Voting in Obama and the same ol same ol all the time makes you wonder.

www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedpolitics/what-the-2012-election-would-have-looked-like-with?s=mobile

See Map 4. Obama would have won the election anyway, but it would have been a whole lot closer.

Just bc the brain isn't fully developed till 25 doesn't mean that people should be treated like children till 25.

I agree. Maybe, we could do this.

16 -- driving age
18 -- contract age & age of consent
19 -- drinking age
21 -- marriage age & military age
25 -- voting age

Drinking age should be 21

Voting age & military age should be the same.

I disagree. If you can die for your country you can vote drink etc

Draft age should be 22. Volunteer age can still be 18.

I like that idea CTYankee.

Given that everybody says your vote doesn't even matter, why do we care what the voting age is, and why would we make it so high?

You would let them make a decision that could cost them their life at 18 but not a decision on a vote at the same. Your argument is invalid. Talk about a double standard.

Under Roman law, the traditional age of majority was 21. Most countries used this age. In the 19th and 20th centuries, they started lowering it to 18.

So you would agree maybe 21 would be better?

I think having different ages is better. By 18, a person needs to be able to drive and to sign contracts and consent forms since he'll be away from his parents at college. However, voting is so important that the minimum age should be older.