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Should old people be allowed to vote?

Poll

Should old people be allowed to vote?

Should people in their 70+ be allowed to vote. They are voting for our future which they will not live to see. They have a vote on things that impact us but will not impact them.
We have a minimum requirement age, should we have an upper limit too?
Keep it civil in the comments.

EDIT: Another interesting question. Should old people be allowed to vote in important referendums such as the scottish independence or the EU vote?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

username1500433

3

Of course they should be allowed to vote. Someone of age 70 could potentially live far older than that. Also worth noting that the elderly people make up a large portion of the electorate and it's an age group that typically turns out very high in elections. By banning the elderly from voting turnout and participation will go down significantly which is simply undemocratic.

Reply 2

blackened_sky

12

There are a lot of things to vote on that affect the older generation as much as the younger. Pensions, benefits, bedroom tax etc.

Reply 3

Lionheart96

OP

11

Original post by will_jg

Of course they should be allowed to vote. Someone of age 70 could potentially live far older than that. Also worth noting that the elderly people make up a large portion of the electorate and it's an age group that typically turns out very high in elections. By banning the elderly from voting turnout and participation will go down significantly which is simply undemocratic.

Why would it be undemocratic?

Reply 4

username1500433

3

Original post by Lionheart96

Why would it be undemocratic?

Because if less of the population are voting then less people have a say in how the country is run - therefore less democratic.

Reply 5

tim_123

16

The reason young people can't vote is because they have no life experience, this forum pretty much proves on a daily basis why young people shouldn't vote, I personally don't think people should be allowed to vote until they are 21.

Whereas elderly people have an entire lifetime of knowledge to vote from.

You say they are voting on your future, does that mean they have no future to vote on? Bearing in mind hkw long a party stays in power for until the next election.

Reply 6

ImNotReallyMe

15

Original post by Lionheart96

Should people in their 70+ be allowed to vote. They are voting for our future which they will not live to see. They have a vote on things that impact us but will not impact them.
We have a minimum requirement age, should we have an upper limit too?
Keep it civil in the comments.

Yes they need to have their interests represented, they'd face more hardship if the government didn't have to worry about their vote
a lot of elderly people die from unheated homes for example, the gvt would probably not help them out with heating bills for example had they not the vote

young people have their parents vote to represent them and young people don't always understand politics or aren't at a stage in life where much affects them compared to adults for example, and old people do have both those things, that's the reason for the age limit on younger people

Reply 7

Poole & The Gang

6

I think voting should be based on knowledge of what you are voting for. A 12 year old or a 110 year old should have more right to vote if they know the policies of what they are voting for rather than (for example) a 35 year old who always votes for the same party regardless of their policies. Obviously this would be practically impossible to implement.

Reply 8

Lionheart96

OP

11

Original post by will_jg

Because if less of the population are voting then less people have a say in how the country is run - therefore less democratic.

But old people are voting on our future, they will not live to face the consequences of their actions. Older people also tend to be more conservative on issues such as climate change and gay rights etc...
All they vote for really is pensions, benefits and health, nobody would be taking it away from them.

Reply 9

Lionheart96

OP

11

Original post by tim_123

The reason young people can't vote is because they have no life experience, this forum pretty much proves on a daily basis why young people shouldn't vote, I personally don't think people should be allowed to vote until they are 21.

Whereas elderly people have an entire lifetime of knowledge to vote from.

You say they are voting on your future, does that mean they have no future to vote on? Bearing in mind hkw long a party stays in power for until the next election.

Original post by ImNotReallyMe

Yes they need to have their interests represented, they'd face more hardship if the government didn't have to worry about their vote
a lot of elderly people die from unheated homes for example, the gvt would probably not help them out with heating bills for example had they not the vote

young people have their parents vote to represent them and young people don't always understand politics or aren't at a stage in life where much affects them compared to adults for example, and old people do have both those things, that's the reason for the age limit on younger people

I know why young people can't vote, i don't need that explained to me lol

Reply 10

tim_123

16

Original post by Lionheart96

But old people are voting on our future, they will not live to face the consequences of their actions. Older people also tend to be more conservative on issues such as climate change and gay rights etc...
All they vote for really is pensions, benefits and health, nobody would be taking it away from them.

So your saying an 80 year old will not live to see the policies of a party be implemented in 5 years?

How old are you out of interest

Reply 11

confusinggenes

yes because they're a hell of a lot smarter than you naive little labour/green voters

Reply 12

blackened_sky

12

Original post by Lionheart96

All they vote for really is pensions, benefits and health, nobody would be taking it away from them.

Parties utilise the fact they know they have the old people to vote for them. If there was a limit then they'd have no reason to adapt their policies to gain their votes. Thus, old people would suffer and in this climate probably left for dead. Plenty of them are already.

Reply 13

Muttley79

20

Original post by Lionheart96

But old people are voting on our future, they will not live to face the consequences of their actions. Older people also tend to be more conservative on issues such as climate change and gay rights etc...
All they vote for really is pensions, benefits and health, nobody would be taking it away from them.

A 70 year old could live for another thirty years and no-one knows how long we will live!

Are you saying that people who fought in WWII to keep the country free have no right to vote?? If so, then you are wrong ...

Older people have every right to vote.

Reply 14

Lionheart96

OP

11

Original post by Muttley79

A 70 year old could live for another thirty years and no-one knows how long we will live!

Are you saying that people who fought in WWII to keep the country free have no right to vote?? If so, then you are wrong ...

Older people have every right to vote.

ooh pulling the veteran card, thats a low blow/ every politician ever.