Voting Age

Throughout the world and in different democracies there are different voting ages. Often voting age goes hand in hand with adulthood or a sense of being of age, but not always. Common voting ages seem to be 18, which we see in many Western countries, 20 or 21, and recently increased calls to lower the voting age to 16 to extend voting to more people. I was wondering what everyone here thinks the voting age should be and what their reasoning for different ages are?

Eighteen. Not a day lower, not a day higher.

I see it as, if you're allowed to work you're allowed to vote.

Originally posted by Blakemore
I see it as, if you're allowed to work you're allowed to vote.

That is an interesting point of view I hadn't thought of that way before. What kind of work do you consider applicable though, you are in the UK right? So the school leaving age is 16, and at that point you can work full time theoretically. But even younger people can work as long as it is not hazardous to them and doesn't interfere in their schooling (something like babysitting or a paper route, I suppose that would not qualify them for voting rights though, right?)a

I voted 21.

I voted at 18, but personally I don't believe people should be allowed to vote till they are 40.

Originally posted by Artol
That is an interesting point of view I hadn't thought of that way before. What kind of work do you consider applicable though, you are in the UK right? So the school leaving age is 16, and at that point you can work full time theoretically. But even younger people can work as long as it is not hazardous to them and doesn't interfere in their schooling (something like babysitting or a paper route, I suppose that would not qualify them for voting rights though, right?)a

Originally posted by Blakemore
I see it as, if you're allowed to work you're allowed to vote.

👆

If you can go to war and die on a President's order you should be allowed to vote for that President.

What about standing for office should there be an age range for that?

is another important aspect of a successful business. It is a process used to determine the weaknesses and strengths of a companies

Originally posted by Artol
What about standing for office should there be an age range for that?

I think if you can work, you should be able to vote and run for office.

Originally posted by Neon1234
I think if you can work, you should be able to vote and run for office.

Are you wxyz?

Originally posted by Artol
Are you wxyz?

Yes, new account.

PR will permaban my old one.

Originally posted by Old Man Whirly!
I voted at 18, but personally I don't believe people should be allowed to vote till they are 40.

strongly disagree

If you're old enough to work and therefore contribute to the system via income taxes, then you have a right to say on how those tax dollars are spent.

That includes voting and running for office.

I heard an idea that rather than one vote per person you should get a vote proportionate to the years of life left. So for example taking life expectancy of 80 an 18 year old voter would get 62/62 of a vote (or 1 full vote), a 64 year old on the other hand would get 16/62 of a vote. This would ensure that those most affected by decisions for the longest time would get more of a say in them, and an 80 year old on their deathbed couldn't settle the youngest with an enormously decision that the young hadn't voted for.

I'm not for this proposal myself, but I thought it was an interesting thought.

Originally posted by Old Man Whirly!
I voted at 18, but personally I don't believe people should be allowed to vote till they are 40.

Why 40?

Originally posted by Old Man Whirly!
I voted at 18, but personally I don't believe people should be allowed to vote till they are 40.

How old should people be before they can buy property? And how old before they join the military? Above 40?

Originally posted by Artol
I heard an idea that rather than one vote per person you should get a vote proportionate to the years of life left. So for example taking life expectancy of 80 an 18 year old voter would get 62/62 of a vote (or 1 full vote), a 64 year old on the other hand would get 16/62 of a vote. This would ensure that those most affected by decisions for the longest time would get more of a say in them, and an 80 year old on their deathbed couldn't settle the youngest with an enormously decision that the young hadn't voted for.

I'm not for this proposal myself, but I thought it was an interesting thought.

It's another horrible idea. tyranny of the young over the old.