Should people under the age of 18 be allowed to vote?

[last unicorn]

Absolutely.

In my country, people can vote at the age of 16.

16 year olds are very mature these days and many political decisions affect them as well, so I do believe it's right for them to vote. It's a right and it also means taking responsibility.

Most teenagers here are interested in politics and have many ideas what could be done better.
Political education is important and young people should be encouraged to participate actively in the social and political life around them.

[Prince Of Pop]

18 is the legal age and it should remain 18. I believe a parent would influence a teenagers vote if it was lowered to say 16.

When your 18, you are an adult and can make up your own decisions. Leave it as is.

[snorlaaax]

No, def. not. Of course everyone has an opinion, but people under 18 are often more easily to influence and are most of the time not enough informed, since most of them dont really care. There are those who are serious and mature enough to have an own opinion and know whats going on, but a lot of them dont and if youre gonna let the mature teenagers vote, you also need to let the '''not-mature'' teenagers vote. Me myself as a 17 year old teenager, would like to vote, but I know it would not be good for me to vote. I know I have a clear opion and I know from myself that I know quite a lot of politics compared to other kids my age, but I know it wouldnt be realistic for me to vote, because I don't experience causes which have a big effect in the country and world. Like the economy or health care, it doesnt influence me personally because those are things your parents arange because your underage. I don't know how to arange those things personally which makes it quite unrealistic for me to vote about it, of course I have an opinion about how it should work, but my view on those things will never be that reliable because i havent experienced the ups and downs up those things. Then you have those kids who are easily influenced on their friends opions or dont know of any of the ideas and just vote for fun or because it's ''hip''.

[Sdeidjs]

Under the United States Law:

1.) An adult is an individual who is 18 years or older.

2.) Someone under the age of majority. (Under 18) - Minor

Probate Court Juvenile Division has jurisdiction over anyone under the age of 18 and in some cases (severity of the crime) until the person is 21.

People under the age of 18 must have the "capacity" to enter into a contract and or vote.

CAPACITY is defined as: (1.) The legal power to do something; (2) the ability to understand the nature and effects of one (s) actions or inaction.

Therefore, minors are not permitted to vote.

[last unicorn]

I think it's wrong to generalize young people by saying: 18 year olds are more mature than 16 year olds, because it's not true. It's only 2 years, they don't make much difference. If you're not mature enough with 16, you're not mature enough with 18 as well. Parents can influence you at ANY age. Or you can have your own opinion and interests with 15 or 16. It always depend where you come from, what your background is and how open-minded families are.

In my country, people are not allowed to drive a car under the age of 18 and I believe this is right.
But for voting and participating in political decisions that affect everyone, I still say 16 is a good age to start.

[snorlaaax]

I think it's wrong to generalize young people by saying: 18 year olds are more mature than 16 year olds, because it's not true. It's only 2 years, they don't make much difference. If you're not mature enough with 16, you're not mature enough with 18 as well. Parents can influence you at ANY age. Or you can have your own opinion and interests with 15 or 16. It always depend where you come from, what your background is and how open-minded families are.

In my country, people are not allowed to drive a car under the age of 18 and I believe this is right.
But for voting and participating in political decisions that affect everyone, I still say 16 is a good age to start.

But the thing is that people under 18 dont experience the things personally on which you are voting for. Theres not a child who arranges its own health care or is influenced by the economy personally. That makes an underage vote unreliable, maturity doesnt have anything to do with it.

[xo_lola_xo]

No.

Children should not get involved in politics and most children would just vote for who their parents would vote for.

[~Lindsey~]

No, def. not. Of course everyone has an opinion, but people under 18 are often more easily to influence and are most of the time not enough informed, since most of them dont really care. There are those who are serious and mature enough to have an own opinion and know whats going on, but a lot of them dont and if youre gonna let the mature teenagers vote, you also need to let the '''not-mature'' teenagers vote. Me myself as a 17 year old teenager, would like to vote, but I know it would not be good for me to vote. I know I have a clear opion and I know from myself that I know quite a lot of politics compared to other kids my age, but I know it wouldnt be realistic for me to vote, because I don't experience causes which have a big effect in the country and world. Like the economy or health care, it doesnt influence me personally because those are things your parents arange because your underage. I don't know how to arange those things personally which makes it quite unrealistic for me to vote about it, of course I have an opinion about how it should work, but my view on those things will never be that reliable because i havent experienced the ups and downs up those things. Then you have those kids who are easily influenced on their friends opinions or dont know of any of the ideas and just vote for fun or because it's ''hip''.

I'm sort of in the same boat. I live in the UK and turned 18 last month but if I lived in the US and the election was before my 18th I would have been wishing I could vote. However at the same time at 17 I probably wouldn't have been as qualified to vote although I keep up to dates with politics, people older than me will have experienced the results of many decisions and will have a better idea as to what will and will not work. Another member suggested maybe having to complete an entry test before being able to vote. I think thats a better idea. I think if a test was put in place for everyone it would be better. With the age lowering and without an entry test I would also be scared of groups of young people influencing each other or making pacts together which may have a negative result.

[NatureCriminal7896]

old thread but no. they too young. let kids be kids and kids stay kids.

[PoP]

Nah, they can dream of voting one day, but they shouldn’t trust politics at all like I do, they’re cause more corruption and harm than good and making promises like they said they would. They just broke promises way too many times.