On voting: The voting age ought to be at least as low as 16. That is the age when most (perhaps all?) people are allowed to work. It should be the age when all people are allowed to vote. After all, why are we making teenagers pay into SS and other programs if we aren’t going to give them an equal say?
Also, I wouldn’t support it, but I can’t say I would be heartbroken if the U.S. adopted an Australia-like system where voting was mandatory.
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Thought of the day, Voting |
For the Sake of Science 
I’d never say that voting should be mandatory. I have a feeling it would turn out like standardized tests do, with people that don’t care filling the thing out in the shape of a Christmas tree.
You can join the military at 17 but you can’t vote, smoke drink and in some states drive.
I think we should just make an “age of adulthood”. That’s it. You get to vote, smoke, drink, drive, sign contracts, marry, etc etc. Get rid of this hodge podge of this age and that age.
Like I mentioned in a recent post of my own, Austria allows voting at 16 and some US states permit primary voting at 17 if you will be 18 before the general election.
Last thing, I’m not sure what the age should be, but just because one is paying taxes doesn’t mean they need to have or even should have an equal say. Think about visitors from other states that come and pay our sales tax, they don’t have a say here in Maine. Foreigners pay taxes in a lot of cases.
It needs to all come down to at what point we decide people can make life choices for themselves. If people were to be allowed to vote at 16 (or whatever) and so forth than criminally they need to be treated as adults in all cases. Children don’t have the same rights as adults, nor the same responsibilities, I don’t think we want to start giving one without the other it’s asking for trouble.