Reduce the Voting age

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 11:13

At 16 a person can get married and have children. If we allow them this responsibility, should we also recognise that they are mature enough to vote?



At 16 you can get a job and pay taxes, is it undemocratic that you have no say in who sets those taxes?



Are 16-year-olds in today’s society more mature than ever before ?



Should the minimum voting age be reduced to 16, or remain at 18?

Macha


Joined: 18/01/2009
Posts: 650

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 13:08

Reduce it to 16 and make voting compulsory. I have nothing but contempt for people who can't be bothered to vote when so many sacrificed so much to bring the democratic vote to the common man and woman.

spider


Joined: 03/01/2009
Posts: 5527

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 13:38

Perhaps if they were to learn what voting is for before leaving school,might help,...as some leave doing as parents have always done.vote in the party that will enable them to claim the benifits they all live on..some ar taught this from a young age is called Form Filling..but i think they have someone to do that for them..Yes Parents.drag them along.!!









spider,x

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 17:46

So many sacrificed so much is true but sacrificed in the name of Freedom! That means freedom to do what you wish and not to be compulsory bound to do things. If people do not wish to vote then they have the right - bought for them and by them by the so many who sacrificed - to not vote!



Lower the voting age - why not, if you consider that at 16 people are so adult as to be able to change the world you live in then do it. I hope you enjoy life when the next 23 year old Prime Minister signs the euthenasia bill for all those aged 40 and over - because they can not break dance anymore or their hoody jumpers have worn out!

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 17:49

Waddo - good post.

Macha


Joined: 18/01/2009
Posts: 650

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 17:58

waddo: "That means freedom to do what you wish and not to be compulsory bound to do things."



But it's compulsory to fill in the voters' roll - and that's a lot more contentious than simply putting an "x" in the box.



Sorry, but if political parties are allowed to gain power by default then democracy is on a "shoogly peg".

Harold2555



Joined: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1139

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 18:47

Bill



You wrote

"At 16 you can get a job and pay taxes, is it undemocratic that you have no say in who sets those taxes? "



In th UK at least you can become a taxpayer on the day you are born but I see your point but IMHO the answer is no!



Paul

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 18:48

Paul, I think they should raise the voting age not lower it.

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 18:56

I have no problem with compulsory votinf but ONLY if every ballot has an option for 'none of the above'. In fact I think every ballot should have this option if voting is compulsort or not.



I rarely voted in the UK but not out of laziness but because there was rarely a candidate that I felt represented my views and deserved my vote.



I think it would be good for politicians to know that they actualy 'won' by comming second to a 'none of the above' vote and it would put their 'mandate' in perspective.



Spoiling your ballot intentionaly is not the same , you just get written of as incapable of voting properly. A system that allowed the electorate to specificaly say 'none of you' and that could be counted and reported as such is what is needed in my view.

Macha


Joined: 18/01/2009
Posts: 650

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 19:12

Agree with you, Erolz. "None of the above" would probably win the election. But someone as smart as e.g. Alex Salmond could make his candidates members of the None of the Above Party - and they'd get in by a landslide.



Freeedommmm....

joseph


Joined: 17/04/2008
Posts: 709

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 19:51

Erolz, Macha... both get my vote on this one.



None of the Above... is I think an option in Australia.

Would like to see it here because I think people in a democarcy have a democratic right to vote or not. I think most MPs voted for in my lifetime have actually won by minority consent?



More importantly it shows the huge shift in politics from MPs whose first obligation use to be to his electorate... whereas now it is to "The Party"



Heard that before



Regards Joseph

stewy


Joined: 18/10/2008
Posts: 279

Message Posted:
18/03/2009 19:55

I am confused as to why this has been posted?

Surely the poster is in the wrong forum?