Debate should teens have the right to vote...i wonder

HA! Not gonna happen. The ones mature enough to be responsible voters are already there, and everyone else isn't magically going to get interested in politics just because they have the option of voting.

If anything, I think that voting should be introduced on the local level first - teens could register to vote in certain elections that would affect their district. That way, there's a greater chance they would have experience with and interest in the issues. I really don't think teens have any business voting on the state or national level, though - the majority don't have a broad enough view of life yet.

 

Fair enough! It was only an thought, so I suppose you're right :catgirl:

but Dilandau's hit on a good idea - voting on a local level for startrs would probably work. now I've really thought about it I don't think many people would "magically change" overnight, but building up to politics and stuff gradually is a good idea.

 

While I agree that this is a good idea, I'd also like to point out that, to some degree, it's been done before. Student Council / Government / Whatever it's called was probably started with this idea in mind, as well as trying to give the students leadership responsibility. Now, who gets voted into "office"? Nobody cares about the campaign promises here, either; the popular kid always wins. So, while I agree that this would help out a bit, I'm not sure that it would truly work.

 

That's a good point. I can't really say I see any reason to let teens vote at all, honestly - it was merely a suggestion. ^^ Voting on a local level, at least, would be less pointless/possibly detrimental than voting in national elections.

I think what this all comes back to is that teens' minds really aren't on the same page that an adult's should be. They don't have the incentive yet to think about what a particular candidate will do in office that might affect them - because they're not out there making their own living, raising a family, etc. They're not going to care about many issues that won't affect them until they're older. Teens like instant gratification, too. They're not going to look at the long term and say, "If this guy is elected, will he be concerned with the environment?" or "Will he care about fixing my child's school?" or "Will he be interested in health benefits and care of seniors?" These are all important issues, but your average teen probably doesn't give a rat's a** about them.

EDIT: Of course, a lot of adults don't think about that either... which is just another reason why we don't want teens voting. We don't need more irresponsible voters.

 

If teenagers on the whole aren't that responsible, then by giving them the vote would that make voting less important?
by that i mean that because suddenly the vote includes irresponsible people, then does it becomes less powerful and consequently ignored?

 

Not that i'm in support of teenage voting but even if they were given the chance to vote would they really be bothered getting up and using it. Theres a lot of people i know that are finally at the age to vote and they go and waste it by not bothering to go out and vote. I think that teens would act in the same way and waste it.

 

i'm 19, and personally i believe, as a rule of thumb, that anyone under 20 isn't intelligent enought to vote. and most over 20 aren't either. After a certain age the right to vote should probably be stopped. i work at elections, counting votes, and handing out the forms to ppl. I can tell you that older people loose their grip. they don't understand any of the policies etc. they just vote for the same party they've been voting for for the last 50 years. :dizzy:
i don't care for politics, and thus i don't think i should be voting. Because it's compulsory i have to... i just don't fill anything out. this is because by making an ill informed decision i'm just hindering the voting process. plenty of people who don't care DO place a vote though. Thus i think (particularaly in a democracy) that people who don't wont to vote shouldn't be forced to.

At my home town, in about 1992(?), a street bum was elected into the local council. This could only be attributed to the fact that no voters recognised his name on the ballot, and that enough voters are stupid enough, (or just don't care) to vote for someone they've never heard of. The next time this happens it could be a neo nazi instead of a bum that's elected.

 

Tho people would probably stone me for this one, I believe only people who own a certain level of property should vote. What kind and amount of property I am referring to, I can't say because I haven't thought out all possible problems.

Oh, you guessed it, I voted no.

 

Sounds an awful lot like America used to be.

See also http://www.historiography101.blogspot.com/2003_10_12_historiography101_archive.html

 

Oh, right, because only rich people are responsible.

Trust me - that would never work. People would start pointing out that overall, white Americans have a higher income and all that than minorities, and it would become an issue of race in about two seconds.

At least age is something that applies to everyone - while there is such a thing as age descrimination, I don't think anyone can argue that there's a better overall way of determining who can vote and who can't. It applies a basic requirement of physical and, hopefully, mental maturity (just like age-based driving, drinking, marriage, and military service laws).

 

I knew it wasn't something that could actually happen in this day and age. It's just something that I would do.

To avoid further argument over this (since the thread is about teenagers) I won't express why I believe the way I do; but my reasons are not the level of responsiblity, maturity, knowledge, or anything of that nature.

 

are you kidding me !

there are very few really responible teens out there. 17 yes but anything younger then that no. ( driving is one thing voting is another.) :shy3:

 

I say no. I'm less then a month away from being fourteen, and I don't really give a rat's a$$ about politics. The only political stance I have is the growling one of "I HATE POLITICS!"

I mean sure, I have views on some things, but I lack the knowledge to be able to make a truly informed choice. I mean if I was given the RIGHT to vote I'd probably try to become informed before casting a ballot, but there are a lot of kids out there who WOULDN'T do that, and would most likely vote based on age and looks, not political views.

I think maybe that at age 16 Dilandau's plan should be put into affect, you can vote in local city elections and things. 13-15 seems a little young, but hey, you get a car at 16, why not another new power as well?

Ark's plan sounds decent too, that way only people with actual knowledge of the candidates would be able to vote, but the only downside I can see is that we would be bringing in a lot less votes. Most people I know wouldn't waste their time on a test.

As somebody else already mentioned, look at student council elections! In most cases, the best looking guy/girl wins, or at least the most popular.

 

I say no. Teens either dont care about politics and have no intrest in them at all or they are not well educated enough in the "politic Knowledge" to make a good dicision. Teens tend to be judgemental, with image and do not pay attention to qualities, as mention before.

Even 18 can seem pretty young for a voting age sometimes. ((18 is the voting age in the US right? -_-;;; Shows how much i care. . . :anime: ))

 

Yes, 18 is the voting age in the US. You're right that it does seem a bit young. Most people really aren't fully mature at 18 - but most have some prior experience with adult responsibilities like property ownership, paying bills, holding jobs, etc. I guess that's what seperates an older teen from a younger one and, in my opinion, gives older individuals the criteria necessary to allow them to be responsible voters. Someone who's 18 is probably working at least part-time, and may be buying their own food, paying car bills, or even be married, so they've had a taste of "real life" and have more reason to be politically aware and educated.

 

I've always found it strange that the US considers drinking to require more responsibility than the ability to vote to change the course of your country.

- Ark

 

Yeah, well... It's also strange that in the US, you can join the military and be trained to kill people before you can drink. Or, say, you can get behind the wheel of several tons of self-propelled mobile steel before you can vote.

Suffice to say, we don't need another law that gives responsibility to people who are probably too young to use it well. If it were up to me, I'd probably push most of these age laws up to twenty or twenty-one. *shrug*

 

"you being one of them ? :anime: "

their are some people who can't even tell you how the vice-president is let alone Know who or what their voting for. :sweat2:

 

(Ryokos_hellyen)

HaHa aren't you just the funniest little....

some teens don't know whos in office and whos running to be in office let alone have an interest to find out.