Should the voting age be reduced to 16?

[Roses]

There is talk of reducing the voting age to 16, I am not sure if this is a good idea. Some are mature enough to do so but many are not, especially as their hormones are in overdrive at that time in their lives.

What do other posters think?

[Nearly Sane]

This already applies in Scottish parliament and local elections. I'm happy with it to be extended but I think having that battle just now for this election is the wrong time.

[ProfessorDavey]

There is talk of reducing the voting age to 16, I am not sure if this is a good idea. Some are mature enough to do so but many are not, especially as their hormones are in overdrive at that time in their lives.

What do other posters think?

There are plenty of people over 18 who you might claim aren't mature enough to vote!!

Actually I think yes they should and especially so in major elections that only occur infrequently (e.g. general election - although they seem to come every 2 years currently). So although the voting age is 18 with general elections every 5 years (as they should be) the average age to be able to vote in a general election is actually 20.5 years, and there will be some voters who could be nigh on 23 before they get their first opportunity to vote for a government in a general election.

[ad_orientem]

There is talk of reducing the voting age to 16, I am not sure if this is a good idea. Some are mature enough to do so but many are not, especially as their hormones are in overdrive at that time in their lives.

What do other posters think?

No. I'd aise it to 21 if it was up tp me.

[ProfessorDavey]

No. I'd aise it to 21 if it was up tp me.

Which would mean some people would be nearly 26 before they get to vote in a general election.

[Outrider]

If you can join the Armed Services and serve your country, you should at the least have a say in which politician is going to send you to war - either raise the enlistment age or drop the voting age.

O.

[SteveH]

Bad idea. The lower the age, the more immature people who should not have the vote will have it. I opposed the reduction to 18 back in the late 60s, even though I benefitted, for the same reason I was one of the people whom the voting age passed going in the opposite direction: I got the vote at 18, but not on my 18th birthday; I was 18 and six months. The first election I was able to (and did) vote in was the 1970 General Election.

[Roses]

I was chatting to two of my grandsons, 16 and 13, about lowering the voting age. The younger one was all for lowering it to 16, but surprisingly enough the 16 year old was against it.  He thought, like me, that most people of his age were not mature enough to understand for what they would be voting.

[Robbie]

I think the voting age should stay as it is,18 is about right.

As for people fighting for their country, etc, though they can join the army they aren't sent out to war under 18 (I'm presuming it's the same for Navy and RAF, haven't checked).

Think about it, when the age of majority was 21 youngsters were drafted into the forces in times of war and they had no blooming choice!

[Nearly Sane]

I think the voting age should stay as it is,18 is about right.

As for people fighting for their country, etc, though they can join the army they aren't sent out to war under 18 (I'm presuming it's the same for Navy and RAF, haven't checked).

Think about it, when the age of majority was 21 youngsters were drafted into the forces in times of war and they had no blooming choice!

The etc there is doing a lot of work.

ETA And that people were sent to war without the vote is surely an argument not to have people serving in the military at all without a vote.

[Nearly Sane]

I was chatting to two of my grandsons, 16 and 13, about lowering the voting age. The younger one was all for lowering it to 16, but surprisingly enough the 16 year old was against it.  He thought, like me, that most people of his age were not mature enough to understand for what they would be voting.

If we need most people to be 'mature' enough to know what they are voting for, that's an argument for getting rid of democracy.

[Nearly Sane]

Bad idea. The lower the age, the more immature people who should not have the vote will have it. I opposed the reduction to 18 back in the late 60s, even though I benefitted, for the same reason I was one of the people whom the voting age passed going in the opposite direction: I got the vote at 18, but not on my 18th birthday; I was 18 and six months. The first election I was able to (and did) vote in was the 1970 General Election.

Although of course we have an idiotic voting system. By the way would you be arguing that Scotland could have declared UDI with a majority of MSPs and MPs in favour?

[Bramble]

I'm often struck by how mature many young people seem to be - and how excruciatingly silly some older folk are. Unfortunately, as vox pops remind us daily, in a democracy you need an inordinate faith in humanity to believe that voting is likely to produce a better result than tossing a coin or consulting the Yi Jing.

[Outrider]

I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that Daily Star readers are allowed to vote... in the face of that, how can we suggest that 'maturity' is somehow a requirement?

O.

[~TW~]

Looking at the state of this country,taking all things into consideration. the age for being a  politicians should be raised to 60 years,and voting for those 80 or older.

[Robbie]

NS:- And that people were sent to war without the vote is surely an argument not to have people serving in the military at all without a vote.

Agree. 

[Gordon]

You can get married in Scotland at 16 without parental permission and you become liable for income tax (if earning enough) and national insurance at 16 - so yes, you should be able to vote at 16.

[~TW~]

You can get married in Scotland at 16 without parental permission and you become liable for income tax (if earning enough) and national insurance at 16 - so yes, you should be able to vote at 16.

 So you can see I am right.

[jeremyp]

I was chatting to two of my grandsons, 16 and 13, about lowering the voting age. The younger one was all for lowering it to 16, but surprisingly enough the 16 year old was against it.  He thought, like me, that most people of his age were not mature enough to understand for what they would be voting.

I don't know how old Ippy is but he certainly didn't understand what he was voting for in the Brexit referendum.

If we excluded people from voting based on the fact that they don't understands what they are voting for, it would be a massive saving in the time taken to count the votes.

[Roses]

I don't know how old Ippy is but he certainly didn't understand what he was voting for in the Brexit referendum.

If we excluded people from voting based on the fact that they don't understands what they are voting for, it would be a massive saving in the time taken to count the votes.

Just my vote and yours!