Should 16 year olds have the right to vote?

No because theyre too young and immature. Theyre fresh out of secondary school and for the most part have undeveloped views and ideas about the world and politics. Theyll believe anything a sleazy politician says

Reply 21

boods8897

18

I'm 17 and I wouldn't have wanted the vote at 16. I have next to no interest whatsoever in politics, and that appears to be true for the majority of people my age, with the exception of maybe 90 out of a year group of well over 1500 who study politics.
Having the vote earlier wouldn't have inspired me to become more political; if at the point I had voted, it would've just been for whoever my parents voted.
At 16 anyway, although I know it probably does, you don't really feel as though politicians have any effect on your life and so quite frankly don't really care who is in office. I don't think it would be fair to lower the voting age as the majority wouldn't be able to make an informed choice and could be too easily swayed into voting for a party that doesn't suit their best interests.

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Reply 22

L i b

19

Original post by Davij038

I think if you're old enough to legally conceive children and create life then it seems stupid that you're too irresponsible to vote.

You are certainly not old enough to conceive children at 16 and it's rightly frowned upon. That it is legal does not mean that it's moral. With a voting age, we are overtly endorsing a responsible age - that's very different from saying we'll not throw someone in jail to stop them doing something we don't like.

There are politically engaged 15 year olds and there are people clueless about politics in their 40s voting (this isn't saying that people should vote starting at anyage).

You may have inserted that last bit in brackets, but that is the only rational conclusion that can follow if we accept your argument there.

Reply 23

limetang

19

Good lord no. Speaking for myself I was a complete idiot at 16, and so was everybody else I knew. In addition to that, the abuses of power some teachers commit in terms of influencing students political views to me is reason enough to have people wait. I remember a GCSE history class, where our teacher spent great portions of each lesson telling us about how Obama if elected would save the world, and remember just as much how everyone else in the class was swayed to be in complete agreement with her.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 24

sdotd

17

No, most would not know how the economy works and therefore may not vote for the things

Reply 25

Katty3

16

I am 17. I am old enough to get married, drive a car, join a political party (member of Labour party since I was 15), die for my country, yet I am not allowed to put a cross on a piece of paper.
Why?
My ability to join the Labour party shows that I am capable of making my own decisions about politics, I am old enough to make the permanent decision to die for my country, other people my age have done so in the past, I am old enough to make important decisions about my career, yet I am not old enough to put a cross on a piece of paper once every five years.
N.b. This government has also made it illegal to register halls of residences to vote on mass. Make of this what you will.

Reply 26

limetang

19

Original post by Katty3

I am 17. I am old enough to get married, drive a car, join a political party (member of Labour party since I was 15), die for my country, yet I am not allowed to put a cross on a piece of paper.
Why?
My ability to join the Labour party shows that I am capable of making my own decisions about politics, I am old enough to make the permanent decision to die for my country, other people my age have done so in the past, I am old enough to make important decisions about my career, yet I am not old enough to put a cross on a piece of paper once every five years.
N.b. This government has also made it illegal to register halls of residences to vote on mass. Make of this what you will.

Well for a few reasons: First the reason you only need to be 16 to join the army etc. is quite simple (cynical mode) because as much as it's an age old cliché young people are often foolish and often make foolish decisions such as going out to die at such a young age. Why do you think the army recruitment offices in the first and second world wars were full of people who were too young to be joining?

Your ability to join the Labour party doesn't show anything (though it seems like you probably are quite a sensible person for your age), anybody can do that. And you're not old enough to get married without parental consent ... say about that what you will.

Reply 27

Katty3

16

Original post by limetang

Well for a few reasons: First the reason you only need to be 16 to join the army etc. is quite simple (cynical mode) because as much as it's an age old cliché young people are often foolish and often make foolish decisions such as going out to die at such a young age. Why do you think the army recruitment offices in the first and second world wars were full of people who were too young to be joining?

Your ability to join the Labour party doesn't show anything (though it seems like you probably are quite a sensible person for your age), anybody can do that. And you're not old enough to get married without parental consent ... say about that what you will.

I am old enough to get married without parental consent if I take the train to Scotland and elope.
You have not actually stated why, when I can make all these major decisions, I cannot vote.

Reply 28

limetang

19

Original post by Katty3

I am old enough to get married without parental consent if I take the train to Scotland and elope.
You have not actually stated why, when I can make all these major decisions, I cannot vote.

I have, what I was getting at is that all these things you list are either decisions of no real importance or significance, or that they are things that likewise you shouldn't be able to do at 16.

Reply 29

Quady

20

Original post by limetang

I have, what I was getting at is that all these things you list are either decisions of no real importance or significance, or that they are things that likewise you shouldn't be able to do at 16.

What things of more significance than marriage and children can you do at 18?

Reply 30

Swanbow

19

I support a change in the voting age to 16. Very glad Ed Miliband has pledged to lower the voting age.

Reply 31

Reue

20

No; too young, not enough real life experience, not enough exposure to taxes and other government policies. Too likely to be influences by their parent's voting choice or a party offering unsustainable perks to young people.

I appreciate that some on here will think they are mature enough to vote at 16/17 but that vast majority are not. We need to have a cut off age somewhere and 18 is the most logical based upon other freedoms and responsibilities.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 32

Flather

13

Don't think the majority of people have formed political opinions at 16, nor do they have enough of an understanding of the world and the economy in most cases.

Reply 33

Quady

20

Original post by Reue

No; too young, not enough real life experience, not enough exposure to taxes and other government policies. Too likely to be influences by their parent's voting choice or a party offering unsustainable perks to young people.

I appreciate that some on here will think they are mature enough to vote at 16/17 but that vast majority are not. We need to have a cut off age somewhere and 18 is the most logical based upon other freedoms and responsibilities.

That can equally be said of people of pensionable age not having exposure to Government policies effecting the under 25s?

Also how about the significant proportion of income tax paying 16 year olds?

Personally I'd rather a 16 year old voting than a 90 year old.

Reply 34

Arbolus

13

I figure that there's got to be a line somewhere, and 18 is as good a place as any.

If it were lowered to 16, what then? In terms of maturity there's not much difference between a 16 year old and a 15 year old, so why not lower it even further to 15? And then the 14 year olds would be speaking out about how they're being excluded... No, it's much better I think to simply leave it at the age of majority, because 18, not 16, is when the majority of the rights and responsibilities of an adult come into effect.

Reply 35

CharmingCat

OP

17

If politics became part of the National Curriculum, do you think that 16 year olds would have a greater right to vote because they would have a better knowledge of political parties? Maybe if we are taught about politics, there would be less opposition against letting the under-18s vote.

Reply 36

Reue

20

Original post by Quady

That can equally be said of people of pensionable age not having exposure to Government policies effecting the under 25s?

People of pensionable age will have had exposure in the past and so are able to make a more informed decision.

Original post by Quady

Also how about the significant proportion of income tax paying 16 year olds?

I don't know of many 16 year olds making over £10,000 a year?

Reply 37

Simes

16

Original post by Quady

Also how about the significant proportion of income tax paying 16 year olds?

OK, how about this possible rule to fix that: "only people paying income tax can vote". Can you see a problem with that?

Reply 38

L i b

19

Original post by Katty3

I am 17. I am old enough to get married, drive a car, join a political party (member of Labour party since I was 15), die for my country, yet I am not allowed to put a cross on a piece of paper.
Why?

If you were my daughter, then there is no way I'd ever consider letting you marry at 17.

As for dying for your country: no you cannot. Putting aside gender issues (women are now generally allowed on the front line, just not in direct combat roles) you have to be 18 before you can be put into actual combat. 16 and 17 year olds can be members of the armed forces, but are almost entirely protected from that sort of fighting.

My ability to join the Labour party shows that I am capable of making my own decisions about politics

Well, no, it shows your ability to complete a form. I had political views at 12 - it doesn't mean that they were not jejune nonsense.

N.b. This government has also made it illegal to register halls of residences to vote on mass. Make of this what you will.

Er, we've had a major overhaul in voter registration, moving from household (collective) registration to a system of individual registration. This was long overdue and is a significant improvement in terms of protecting against electoral fraud and ensuring that details on the register are up-to-date.