why should teens be able to vote?

Question

Should minors be allowed to vote and for what reasons?

Answer 1

Probably not. I think 18 is a good age for voting. Younger teens are too impulsive (I know I was) and don't quite get that their actions can have consequences.

Even 18 wasn't the law of the land until the Constitution was changed because 18 year olds were being sent off to war, but weren't able to vote which didn't seem fair.

I'd keep it at 18.

Answer 2

I don't think minors should be able to vote until they reach the legal age. I do think they should start learning how & why we vote in high school and take part in mock elections on the same issues adults vote on for each of the elections.

They should also watch and report on the candidates, the advertising and the issues. They should also be registered to vote during their senior year. If we're lucky, we'll end up with a better generation of citizens then we have now.

Answer 3

Let me say why they SHOULDN'T:

1. The eighteen year olds who can vote never do, in spite of massive efforts on MTV (and other places) to "rock the vote" etc. If eighteen year olds don't vote, then what hope do we have for 15 year olds?

2. Putting it bluntly, teens don't have the maturity to sort out many issues. I know, they're better than we give them credit for, but there is a reason why older adults make different moral and leadership decisions than the popular consensus of the teen opinion.

3. The eighteen year olds got the vote after it was noted that they were old enough to die for their country, but not old enough to vote.

4. I think that most people believe that the legal age of consent (everything but alcohol) is a good place to begin to vote. If you're not old enough to get married or own a house, then why should they be old enough to vote?

Having said all of that, I look forward to seeing the current crop of teens grow up and join the political debate -- and run for office to see if they can do better than the current crop of leaders.

Answer 4

I think that teens should be allowed at least some sort of say in issues. We are a lot smarter than most adults think! We know what issues plague minors- according to many adults, we're all fat punks who like rap music and want to dye our hair pink. Strange how that goes, no? Teens have an insight to their community and it's inner workings.

HOWEVER

Teens are easily influenced by their parents, even if they claim to not like them. I know that I feel much the same about issues as my mom and my dad do. However, I can come up for good reasons to support or not support an issue.

Answer 5

idk
I personally don't think I'll ever vote, because unless the election turns out to be a tie, my vote won't ever count. And yes I know that if everyone thought the same way, no one would vote, but I am only controlling my own vote, I have little to no say what everyone else does.

EDIT: regarding brookes answer - I am 17, and most, if not all of my friends (age 16 - 18) drive, and pay taxes if they have a job (which most do). Most of us would sooner not vote than randomly cast a vote; what would we gain from putting forth the effort to vote if we didn't have to?

Answer 6

No minors should not be able to vote. Minors don't pay taxes, minors don't drive, minors can't do most of the things adults do so they can easily take on the "who cares, I'll vote for so-and-so cause he has hair" mentality because nothing will directly effect them outside of decision that have to do with school. Yes, there are those minors who are kick out of or drop out of school, but there aren't very many of them.

There are minors who are involved in their communities and are interested in the things that are going on in the government, but there aren't very many of them either. Even though there are news and newspapers, they tend to bend the truth by leaving things out, focusing on one thing and making it bigger than it has to be, or flat out lying in some areas.

Answer 7

enable me purely sparkling this up first. youthful human beings DO pay taxes. Any criminal American with a paying job will pay income taxes. despite the indisputable fact that, youthful human beings are not from now on legally/financially to blame for themselves until eventually they're 18. That, in my opinion, is why maximum youthful human beings less than the age of 18 shouldn't vote. i did not even vote in the first election i change into allowed because I easily did not understand the circumstances of the election. economic/political subject matters change right into much better favourite to someone at the same time as they have reached economic independence. And that did not truly ensue to me until eventually i change into in my mid-20s.

Answer 8

I do not think teens should be able to vote unless they are educated enough about the difference they are making. Most teens are immature and not thinking about politics or thinking about who should be parent. Im only 18 myself and i dont think most teens of today care that much about the world cuz they arent informed enough. And its not anyones fought but theirs if they arent informed cuz we do have the news, we have newspapers, and we have word of mouth but teens choose to ignore those sources so why should they be able to vote. I think they should extend the age range to 21.

Answer 9

i think that they should because some teenagers are more responsable then people grant them for i think that they should lower the age for voting but not much i think to about 16. i think it is resonable because kids should vote to choose why they want for commuanty conceler or other things because then they could think that they have a voice because some sussiatys they put people down and they dont have a say in anything

Answer 10

anyone who is informed enough (about the politician and politics in general) to where they can make a good decision (that is their own) should be allowed to vote.