What is the REAL Reason the Voting Age Can't Be Lowered (For those who said "no")?

Question

Those that gave a thumbs down to my proposition about lowering the voting age really missed the target.

1. Lack of Intelligence (Maturity) - Again, intelligence or maturity are not prerequisites to participating in the system. A high school drop out who is 18 years old is allowed to vote the same way an 18 year old college student is. And (again) lack of intelligence were arguments made to try and prevent giving the vote to women and African-Americans. Historically this is not an acceptable rationale.

2. Lack of Interest - Why should 16 year olds have an interest when they are not allowed to participate in the process. Lowering the voting empowers them and encourages them to learn more about issues and the civic process.

3. Taxes! - A 16 year old can get a job. His paycheck can be taxed. And yet he has no say in how that money is used. Wasn't there a country founded because of "Taxation without representation?"

Try again?

Answer 1

Interesting question. I didn't see your first go-round but will check it out after I give you my 2 cents worth.

Our country has settled on an "age of majority," which is currently 18. Although the drinking age is 21 and the age of consent varies by state.

The age of majority is the age which you may enter into legally binding contracts. It is the age at which you are considered liable for and accountable for your decisions in life. Therefore, it is the age that you can vote in the democratic system.

Answer 2

Let me try this...

1. Maturity is viewed as Legal Maturity (age 18), not mental maturity. If it were mental maturity, they the group of individuals NOT allowed to vote would be staggering. 18 is the legal age of maturity... aka... adulthood.

2. What makes you think that lowering the voting age would empower anyone to become better informed? The MAJORITY of voters under the age of 25 are most influenced politically by what they see on MTV, E! network, or other targeted programming. There is no drive to investigate and seek out all the facts pertaining to an issue. Those that investigate are the exception rather than the rule.

3. Taxes! Here you show your immaturity as far as this issue is concerned. What makes you think we have a say in how our tax money is spent? By elections?!? We elect political representatives that we HOPE carry the same values that we do, and will choose to spend our tax dollars the way we would. There are NO guarantees, and in general we are usually at least a little disappointed in the results. I think that is safe to say from BOTH sides of the isle.

Answer 3

At the age of 16 kids still live at home and aren't yet in college. They will most likely vote the same way as their parents do. 16 year olds for the most part lack immaturity and are highly influenced by other people.

I felt the same way you did at the age of 16 but now that I'm in my mid-20's I realize that I was very immature and wiuldn't have been capable of making an informed decision.

A high school dropout who is 18 gets to vote because they are 2 years older than the 16 year old. they have had more life experience and 2 years extra to mature.

This isn't true for ALL 16 year olds. there are some 16 year olds that are more mature than some adults but that is the exception to the rule. Most are immature. We can't just lower the voting age to 16 ONLY for those who are mature enough. We would have to lower it for everyone.

Not being able to vote at 16 didn't cause a lack of interest. I wasn't old enough to vote in the 2000 elections (I was 2 weeks to young) but I was still interested in politics and what was going on due to government and law classes.

Answer 4

I bet I can guess your age. I'm going to guess that you are under 25, probably older than 12, somewhere in your mid-teens. I will say you are 16. Am I right?

Sixteen year olds cannot vote because they are not legal adults. You become a legal adult at 18.

Look on the bright side: Only 2 more years and you can vote. And don't worry about missing anything. The country will still be all messed up then.

Answer 5

It's not so much lack of intelligence as in IQ, it's lack of experience and knowledge. Besides, a line has to be drawn somewhere - why 16? Why not 12? 10? 6?

Children are more easily fooled and that's what scares me about the prospect. The concept that the money you take from me to help out a guy who lost his job at the widget factory is money I would have used to buy a widget or invest in the widget company is not something most young people grasp. It's not something most adults grasp, even after we've spent the last 25 years proving the theory out.

Answer 6

Grow up. When you ask a question like this, you can't tell us we're wrong for having a different opinion from yours. Face it, 16 year olds will never vote in the United States.
And by the way, not only is this the 2nd time today you've asked this, you also asked the EXACT same question 2 months ago. Do you have no life?

Answer 7

it's so that they dont do it just to do it. it's one of those things that adults can do. 18 is adult.... the reason that they left it was because they dont want some kid that's a freshmen or sophmore in high school to mess up voting. they could be voting and voting for the worst leader, just to see if they win... now if they did that wouldnt you feel bad???

Answer 8

Why would you want to lower the voting age? It's already too low. We can't even trust most ADULTS to educate themselves about politics, much less teenagers and children.

Answer 9

A sixteen year old's representation is through his parents. And none of us have a say in where our tax money is spent.

Answer 10

16 year olds are already given to many rights, like driveing. You'll be old enough soon enough and you'll see how rediculous your question is, let along you reasoning. As far as your taxes go, full time students get all their money back.