Should the age to vote be reduced to 16?

Ha Ha, it Would be like the VMA's.

 

seeing as young people are expected to be finished their basic education by the age of 18, I think allowing them to vote at this age is fitting.

 

So what if their children? They can drive, pay taxes among a host of other things as well.

Why would they need to finish their 'basic' education?

 

Imo, I don't think people at the age of 16 have the intelligence to make a correct decisions (assuming there is one in voting). But, they are still members of society and maybe they should get to voice their opinions.

 

There is no correct choice with voting, it's subjective.

In Australia, there are two major parties, Labour, and Liberal.

Dumbing it down, Labour is for the workers, and Liberal, the businesses.

A construction worker would be more inclined to vote Labour, as the benefits would directly affect him. A business owner would be more inclined to vote Liberal, as the benefits would directly affect him. Neither are wrong in their 'intelligent' reasoning. Also, how would you measure intelligence?

 

It should stay at 18, 16 year olds don't know anything (yet)

 

Hmm, what can a 16 year old do in relation to subjects at school.

Legal Studies. We can study how laws come into act, their affect on society, and some common statutes.
Biology. We can study How Macro Evolution through Natural Selection works, we learn about DNA, RNA. We touch base on Abiogenesis and the formation of life initially, photosynthesis, mutations etc.
Economics. We can study essentially how the economy functions. What drives the market, some key terms which describe a specific market trend. Probably more.
Mathematics. Boy. Most 16 year olds know Maths that adults do not.

I could go on.

16 year olds are quite competent actually. Also, where does it say you must 'know' over a certain threshold in the voting laws?

 

Personally I think voting is stupid.

But it should be lowered to 16, 16 and 18 aren't very different.

 

The age should stay at 18. However the points you provided are all valid points. In Australia, at 16 you allowed to drive and you do get taxed for your work.

Although I don't agree it should move down to 16. Voting is compulsory in Australia, and if the stereotypical 16 year old (going out partying, drinking) had to vote, many of them would cop a $110 fine for not voting. Also, not every 16 year old knows about politics (neither a few adults). Reducing it to 16 will then increase the amount of blank and "donkey" votes.

Keep it to 18.

 

i think it should stay at 18 and above to vote because;

16-18 year olds generally don't work or pay taxes they're normally in full time education and they will be in the uk starting from next year so i don't see why people at school/college should vote.

I'd also like to suggest that maybe 16-17 year olds could be influenced easier into voting for someone who would come into their school to talk about their party.

 

I totally agree...

1. 16-17 year olds havent experienced much in life, as i turned 18 is when the world flipped.
2. They dont pay taxes like he said or work so pretty much to the gov that means ur voice doesnt mean shit.
3. 16-17 year olds would get influenced not by just ppl speaking to you about there party, but they offer u 1 thing or make it seem like lifes gna be a party and there convinced.

 

This sounds like discrimination to me. Would it be fair to say that Asians cannot vote because their too, for a stereotype, narrow-minded? Would it be fair to say that Blacks cannot vote because their, for a stereotype, not as smart? Would it be fair to say that teenagers cannot vote because their too, for a stereotype, party-goers?

Discriminating against a significant portion of the population is denying people the right to vote, and you forgo the ability to obtain a fair stratified election result across the board.

Some do, some don't. Maybe not as much as adults, but, many still work and consequently pay taxes. Why don't you see why people at school/college should vote?

I'm sure both parties would take advantage of this. This would be correct. However, whats the difference between a party coming to a workplace and doing the identical thing?

And?

I wish we didn't have to pay taxes on taxable income.

Are you saying adults don't get influenced?

 

in the uk you have to stay in full time education until you're 18 starting from next year i think so if you're in like year 9 you're staying on until you're 18.

they shouldn't be able to vote because they don't do anything for the country apart from get educated they don't ern wages and they don't pay taxes, thats why in my opinion people who live on welfare/benefits for a long period of time lets say over 3 years, they should not have the right to vote.

 

In Australia, many of them do. I am 100% sure that if they did earn money that they would have to pay taxable income. I'm not sure how many people in the UK have a job at 16, though.

Would you agree then that If a 16 year old had a job and paid taxes on his taxable income, that he should have the right to vote?

 

Yeah, but i doubt anyone whos 16 in the uk will ern over the £9000/year you have to ern to be taxed tbh but there probably is a small bunch of people who will do, but in the uk they're trying to keep everyone in education now until they're 18. but yes, if they were 16 and erning over £9000 so they were paying taxes then yes i wouldnt see why they shouldn't vote.

 

They would still have to file taxable income, they would just get a tax refund from the PAYG system. Atleast that's how it works in Australia.

We are in concurrence then.

 

yeah you're right here you pay something called emergency tax or something, but yes i suppose but not many people in the uk ern over £9000 under 18

 

No.

16 year olds should not have to worry about anything like this, they would have no idea on what there doing.

I think it should be raised to 21.

 

Why not? They live in the country. The implications for the present decision have affect when they reach adulthood.

Why?

 

i think age 16 isn't old enough to understand democracy in grovernment, i even do not think 18 does, i think you should be more than 21 to vote!