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View Poll Results: Should the voting age be lowered?
Yes, you should be able to vote at any age 2 12.50%
Yes, you should be able to vote at 16 3 18.75%
Yes, you should be able to vote at 17 0 0%
No, keep it at 18 7 43.75%
No, raise it to 19 or 20 0 0%
No, raise it to 21 4 25.00%
Voters: 16. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 25th June 2008, 05:18 PM
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Question Americans: Should the voting age be lowered, and if so, how low?
Just curious as to y'all's thoughts, and reasons for thinking them.
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  #2  
Old 25th June 2008, 06:02 PM
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Note, it would help the Democrats (marginally) to open voting to younger people.

I voted to keep it at 18. To tell you the truth, young people (as a group) so rarely vote that I don't think it would make that much of a difference. I like the fact that the voting age is tied into other important ages -- in the eyes of the law, people have to be at least 18 to enter into a valid contract, are adults, can join the military...etc.

You can make a case for all of those things to be lowered to 16, but I think there is value to tying all of those things to the same age.
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Old 25th June 2008, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Mouth Full of Teeth View Post
Note, it would help the Democrats (marginally) to open voting to younger people.

I voted to keep it at 18. To tell you the truth, young people (as a group) so rarely vote that I don't think it would make that much of a difference. I like the fact that the voting age is tied into other important ages -- in the eyes of the law, people have to be at least 18 to enter into a valid contract, are adults, can join the military...etc.
I'll drink to that.
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Old 25th June 2008, 07:01 PM
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I think they should eliminate the voting age and open it up to anyone paying taxes, provided they pass an candidate and issues test so they know what the hell they are voting for.
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Old 25th June 2008, 07:32 PM
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I'll drink to that.
Heh.. I'd also be in favor of a NATIONAL drinking age of 18.
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Old 25th June 2008, 07:52 PM
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Heh.. I'd also be in favor of a NATIONAL drinking age of 18.
Absolutely. It's stupid that you can join the Army and get sent to Iraq, but not have a Brewski.
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Old 25th June 2008, 08:13 PM
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Voting age, drinking age, smoking age, 16.
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Old 25th June 2008, 08:16 PM
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What about: You can vote as soon as your IQ is above a 100, whatever age that might be. If you never get over it, you never get to vote...
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Old 25th June 2008, 08:25 PM
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What about: You can vote as soon as your IQ is above a 100, whatever age that might be. If you never get over it, you never get to vote...
How about you can't be President until your IQ is at least 100?

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Old 25th June 2008, 08:41 PM
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provided they pass an candidate and issues test so they know what the hell they are voting for.
Mr. Paranoid of the government wants the government to come up with a test that will block people from voting???
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Old 25th June 2008, 08:51 PM
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What is the voting age?
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Old 25th June 2008, 09:11 PM
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The voting age in America should be raised to 101. Think how much the candidates would save in campaign funds.
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Old 25th June 2008, 09:29 PM
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What is the voting age?
18.
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Old 25th June 2008, 09:40 PM
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What about: You can vote as soon as your IQ is above a 100, whatever age that might be. If you never get over it, you never get to vote...
I like it, but it brings up a bad president for how it was used in the past. It reminds me of the "tests" that they would give to blacks who wanted to vote in the South in the 60's... Such wonderful questions as, "How many bubbles in a bar of soap are there?"
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Old 17th July 2008, 10:41 PM
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I voted no age limit. ANYONE should be able to vote, after putting up a $1000 deposit, and solving a simple quadratic equation. But if you fluff the test, no votee and you lose the $1000.

I'm sure George B. would not even have been nominated, let alone elected, if this system had been in force....

props to Robert Heinlein.
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Old 18th July 2008, 12:59 PM
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No age, but kids go in without their parents and are told repeatedly (at school etc.) that they can vote for whoever they like.
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Old 18th July 2008, 03:41 PM
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props to Robert Heinlein.
That was Robert Heinlein? Which book?

Starship Troopers had only those that served in the military be able to vote.
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Old 18th July 2008, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by donquixote99 View Post
I voted no age limit. ANYONE should be able to vote, after putting up a $1000 deposit, and solving a simple quadratic equation. But if you fluff the test, no votee and you lose the $1000.
Rule by the rich = oligarchy. Property qualifications for voting were precisely the restriction that the universal franchise overcame. Once again the novel idea turns out to be very old and thoroughly antidemocratic.

Quote:
props to Robert Heinlein.
indeed...


I'm happy for the voting age to be 14, and indeed the age of legal majority.
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Old 19th July 2008, 12:13 AM
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That was Robert Heinlein? Which book?

Starship Troopers had only those that served in the military be able to vote.
I'm thinking it's in the essay matter in "Expanded Universe," but on a quick thumb-through can only find the suggestion that only women be allowed to vote--and only women who have borne one or more children, at that....

BTW, the original specified an ounce of gold. I translated into current money, but for inflation-neutrality, should stick to his formulation, i expect....
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Old 19th July 2008, 08:39 AM
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Rule by the rich = oligarchy. Property qualifications for voting were precisely the restriction that the universal franchise overcame. Once again the novel idea turns out to be very old and thoroughly antidemocratic.
Except that is not what is proposed. If voting was a $1,000 full stop, you'd be right. Here the core is the solving of the quadratic equation - it means anyone with minimal education can fully expect his money back. And people who suspect they are going to fail just don't try...

Personally, my problem with that is that while there is a correlation between intelligence and education, the link isn't all that strong... And even my proposed IQ idea isn't actually good at making the difference. But i don't know of any 'wisdom test'...
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