Canadopers: should 16 year olds have the vote?
Bill C-261 – An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (voter and candidate age): http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/private/C-261/C-261_1/C-261_cover-E.html
This bill has gone through first reading, has support from members of of the four major parties, and as a private member’s bill can be tabled for second reading even if the government falls (standing order 86.1).
Lower the voting age to 16? Great idea! I’m all for it! Encourage voter participation, get support of fresh new ideas into the system, etc… 16-year-olds can marry and drive; why shouldn’t they be able to vote?
Besides, even if the newly-emancipated 16- and 17-year-olds all went crazy and voted for the Monster Raving Loonie Party or something, the resultant number of votes wouldn’t be enough to throw a monkey wrench into things.
Why not? Let them have a say about the government that’s playing around with their funding.
Sure, some won’t care, or will vote for the pot party candidate because it’s funny, but hell, I know 30-year-olds who do that.
16-year-olds are the stupidest people on the planet. Next they’ll be giving women the vote! :mad: What is the world coming to?!
I don’t feel particularly strongly either way. I know I would have loved to vote at 16,
One practical consideration: if we lowered the voting age to 16, maybe youth voting would increase due to the ability of high schools to encourage students to vote.
I’m 15 and honestly, I would love to vote. Unfortunately, the rest of the sixteen-year-old teen population couldn’t care less about elections and the government. They honestly just don’t care. But, at the same time, I think it’d be great if youth participation was promoted. Perhaps that would get other youth into voting and getting involved.
Good question. Are 16 year olds informed enough to vote any way except what their parents vote? Does that matter, since that is how a lot of adults vote, anyway? Are teens too jaded with the political system to bother to vote? Does it matter, since most adults are, too?
Sure, give 16 year olds the vote. They couldn’t screw it up any more than it’s already screwed.
I think the question is less should 16 year olds be allowed to vote and more at what age are a significant majority of that age group able to vote responsibly after having considered and understood the issues. Would that be age 14? age 12? I acknowledge that not all currently qualified voters vote in that manner, but I still think that should be the test. I don’t know if we need more potential voters to be turned off politics even earlier than ‘normal’.