Lower voting age to 16?

[bob vernon]

Absolutely lower the voting age to 16. Polls are often set up at high schools and that's where we now vote sometimes. Those polls will make it easy for high school kids to vote en masse. There are issues that high schoolers are going to face in the coming decades, and they should be introduced to the process.

And high school kids today are better informed about some topics, like climate change, for example. It's no longer a question of whether you "believe" in climate change or not. It's science and the answer is set in stone.

[Hurtlander]

If 16 year olds want to vote, they should have to pass some sort of aptitude or general knowledge test proving they have basic knowledge of all the various political party’s and what they truly stand for and represent, have basic knowledge of our political system and have basic knowledge our economy and economics, they must show an understanding that every single expenditure the government makes or promises to make, is with money straight out of every Canadians pocket, including Canadians not even born yet, and they must show basic knowledge of every important issue affecting all Canadians, not just single issues ...... Sadly far too many adults would fail that aptitude test.

[rustled]

The only people who support lowering the voting age to 16 and think it's a good idea to set up polls at the schools (so the kids won't have to make any effort whatsoever and can be herded en masse to cast their ballots) are people who favour aggressively progressive governance.

[Ka-El]

If 16 year olds want to vote, they should have to pass some sort of aptitude or general knowledge test

So should adults who want to vote.

Sadly far too many adults would fail that aptitude test.

[The Green Barbarian]

So should adults who want to vote.

Well that would be the death knell of the Green Party.

[Bsuds]

Maybe it should be that if you pay taxes, either property or employment, then you could vote if you are younger.

[Lady tehMa]

I was just re-reading Heinlein's Starship Troopers. To those who have not read it, it shares almost nothing with the movie except names.

Here's the wiki on the book https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers which does a pretty good job of addressing salient points.

One of the main themes that underscore the novel is social responsibility/duty.

In chapter 8, one of the characters posits regarding juvenile delinquents

"I told you that 'juvenile delinquent' is a contradiction in terms. 'Delinquent' means 'failing in duty.' But duty is an adult virtue—indeed a juvenile becomes an adult when, and only when, he acquires a knowledge of duty and embraces it as dearer than the self-love he was born with. There never was, there cannot be a 'juvenile delinquent.' But for every juvenile criminal, there are always one or more adult delinquents—people of mature years who either do not know their duty or who, knowing it, fail."

Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.), p. 120

And this to me, touches upon the heart of the matter. Removing the focus from self, on to others. Children are born self-focused. It is the responsibility of adults to teach them to become aware of others and to focus on the big picture, on society as a whole. This is something that our society has failed at spectacularly.

As rustled mentioned,

I was an activist teenager. My take-away: teens don't yet fully understand how the idealistic changes to current systems they so passionately want can have serious detrimental unintended consequences. It doesn't occur to them. Collateral damage isn't even on their radar, and if you try to put it there they just don't get it. That's why we have graduated driving programs, legal drinking ages, etc.

Few are the teenagers who will think about how something will affect others. Most are only concerned about what they want and to some degree what their friends will think of them. And because our society is failing so badly at teaching people to look beyond themselves we have many adults who are incapable of it, adults who are not capable of assessing or caring about the impact of their decisions on society (or consideration of social responsibility in any form).

If anything we should be raising the voting age.

Personally, I think Heinlein had a window into the future. His assessment of what caused his fictional society to collapse is scarily close to what the world is like today.

[JagXKR]

seriously. I can assure you most adults vote with only their priorities in mind, not "the full big picture"

Ok, ask a 16 year old a choice question. Next school year you can either have 10 days less of school or 10 days more. What is your choice?
The "full big picture" would of course be more, because they would get more knowledge and get them on a fast track for a better education, career and life.
Hmmm wonder how the majority would vote?

[Walking Wounded]

Ok. If kids are smart enough and mature enough to vote at 16, then they should be smart enough and mature enough to drink at 16. Right?

Kind of an apples and oranges statement. Alcohol is harmful to teenagers developing brains, voting is not.

But developing teenage brains would be harmful to elections.

[EZGuy]

Raise the voting age to 21. The vast majority of 16 year olds simply don’t have a clue about election issues. I’d suggest most 18 yo don’t have a clue either and don’t vote.

Heck if scandalous Justin forms government again I’d say that 33% of the Canadian population don’t have a clue either. The liberals should have kicked Justin to the curb in 2018 and installed a new leader!

Who in their right minds thinks these things up, oh yes politicians that want an impressionable persons vote. ok lets say you lower it to 16, now change the drinking and marijuana consumption age to 16, change the age that children can be tried as an adult in criminal court, Omar Khadre was old enough to be an enemy combatant, 16 year olds are old enough to join the military and go to war. Children at the age of 16 are to be considered adults and able to vote is ridiculous.


https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#266900

[Jlabute]

My youngest and I voted on the weekend. He just reached voting age, and I am proud to say he voted 'correctly' lol.
He doesn't think very highly of Justin, the NDP, or the Greens, and probably thinks they all have mental disorders. He and I rarely talk about politics, and I certainly don't tell him what is the best way to vote. Leaders might be encouraged by activist student groups to allow kids to vote because of 'climate change', but it doesn't mean all the kids are brainwashed. I wonder what kids pick up from their parents if anything even when politics is not discussed.

[the truth]

one of my kids and i talk politics all the time , i voted ppc and they voted ndp , hope that helps

and yes for the record i voted ppc, second choice would of been conservatives

i could never understand why people are afraid to say who they voted for

[the truth]

Raise the voting age to 21. The vast majority of 16 year olds simply don’t have a clue about election issues. I’d suggest most 18 yo don’t have a clue either and don’t vote.

Heck if scandalous Justin forms government again I’d say that 33% of the Canadian population don’t have a clue either. The liberals should have kicked Justin to the curb in 2018 and installed a new leader!

Who in their right minds thinks these things up, oh yes politicians that want an impressionable persons vote. ok lets say you lower it to 16, now change the drinking and marijuana consumption age to 16, change the age that children can be tried as an adult in criminal court, Omar Khadre was old enough to be an enemy combatant, 16 year olds are old enough to join the military and go to war. Children at the age of 16 are to be considered adults and able to vote is ridiculous.


https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#266900

if they did that, good chance they win again, thank god they are to stupid to know it

[Jlabute]

one of my kids and i talk politics all the time , i voted ppc and they voted ndp , hope that helps

and yes for the record i voted ppc, second choice would of been conservatives

i could never understand why people are afraid to say who they voted for

Ok, Conservative. Which is also how my son voted apparently. PPC second choice.

[Ka-El]

i could never understand why people are afraid to say who they voted for

Well, it is supposed to be private and confidential, but when you got people arguing/debating politics I agree - why bother hiding it. I'm voting NDP in my riding this election because that is the best chance of ensuring the Liberal candidate doesn't win. I voted NDP in my riding last election because that was the best chance of ensuring the Conservative candidate didn't win. In the two elections before that I voted Conservative (Stephen Harper) because at that time 1) I was pro-pipeline (still am with some reservations) and 2) I was actually impressed with Harper's ability to lead a minority government (he certainly disappointed once he had a majority). I have no partisan loyalties, and I will usually vote according to a party's platform. That would have me voting Liberal this election but I won't support Trudeau. In my view (and this is just my opinion) the best outcome Monday would be another minority government. I wouldn't want any of these clowns having all power.