# British Government considers lowering voting age to 16 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 8, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660 "2003-12-08T00:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/61 "2003-12-11T16:54:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tedster \* > \*\*The problem with letting “everyone” vote is a clear conflict of interest - those who pay no income tax probably tend to vote for politicians who promise free goodies. Maybe an oversimplification, but generally quite true. We don’t allow “ex” felons to vote for some good reasons - in some states, judges are elected. Those of the criminal persuasion ought not to decide who judges are. The same principle ought to apply, although I don’t expect what’s best for our country to be very popular. Hence, we’ll have to put up with ever and more absurdities to common decency as time goes by, including 16 year olds at the polls. Be very afraid. \*\* Huh? We may not let felons vote for judges, but we sure let lawyers vote for judges. Considering that lawyers have a vested interest in having a certain type of judge available (e.g., defense lawyers want easy judges), certainly that’s a conflict of interest? We let people vote according to their interests all the time. People who pay no income tax get to vote currently. The cure for the ills of democracy, they say, is more democracy. I think that’s the case here. Right now, we see that older people vote in disproportionate numbers, and so politicians sensibly skew their stands disproportionately toward issues older people care about. While I don’t expect most sixteen-year-olds would race out to the polls, surely the ones that did could only help to balance the concerns of politicians, such that politicians would more accurately represent their communities. I’ve still yet to hear a practical (and plausible) disadvantage to this scheme. That it gives you a funny feeling isn’t a practical disadvantage; that it would encourage lowest-common-denominator political discussion is a nonstarter, considering the caliber of political discussion currently. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/62 "2003-12-11T17:00:41Z")
In case it’s not clear, I think the post-Civil War laws enacted against felons voting, almost unique to the United States, are a terrible idea. Not only should felons be allowed to vote once they get out of prison – in prison, they should be required to spend three minutes in the voting booth each, as a way to prevent wardens from preventing felons from voting. We’re talking here about people who’ve broken the rules of society, whom we’re trying to reintegrate into society. It is foolish to deny them the basic right of every member of a democracy, if we’re serious about rehabilitation. Let them vote. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/63 "2003-12-11T17:03:19Z")
Ummm…THis refers to the United Kingdom where we don’t restrict the right to vote. Convicted felons can vote (although they can’t vote when the’re in prison). The only other people who can’t vote are those sectioned under the Mental Health Act and the Royal Family. And British 16 year olds are worse than dental torture. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/64 "2003-12-11T18:45:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Left Hand of Dorkness \* > \*\* > I’ve still yet to hear a practical (and plausible) disadvantage to this scheme. That it gives you a funny feeling isn’t a practical disadvantage; that it would encourage lowest-common-denominator political discussion is a nonstarter, considering the caliber of political discussion currently. > > Daniel \*\* We’d have an entire class of voters who could be prevented from appearing at the polls because they were grounded. Marc ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/65 "2003-12-12T10:47:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MGibson \* > \*\*We’d have an entire class of voters who could be prevented from appearing at the polls because they were grounded. > > Marc \*\* Or were sulking in their rooms either wanking furiously - boys, or worrying about their weight/complexion/popularity - girls. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/66 "2003-12-12T10:49:00Z")
Neither of which are the exclusive province of under 18s, of course. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/67 "2003-12-12T10:53:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*Neither of which are the exclusive province of under 18s, of course. \*\* True enough. Owl (40 and worried about his weight) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/68 "2003-12-12T11:55:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MGibson \* > **We’d have an entire class of voters who could be prevented from appearing at the polls because they were grounded.** It’s illegal to hinder or deter someone from voting, at least in Washington (RCW 29.85.060). ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/69 "2003-12-12T12:35:43Z")
Its not illegal for parents to discipline their, and this the the whole point, _non adult children_. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/70 "2003-12-12T12:56:29Z")
It’s a strange age. Legally you can have children, but you can’t marry without your parents consent, you can become a soldier (again with parental consent) but can’t buy alcohol outside of a restaurant. Personally I’d say let them vote, and at the same time include some kind of political awareness class in the national curriculum. At that age I knew diddly about politics. I just inherited opinions from my father. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660/71 "2003-12-13T01:17:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Grey \* > \*\*Its not illegal for parents to discipline their, and this the the whole point, _non adult children_. \*\* It’s not legal for parents to ground their children from going to school, or from visiting their non-custodial parent. I see no reason why it’d be legal to ground them from voting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-government-considers-lowering-voting-age-to-16/217660.md?page=3)