Why would anyone think 16 year-olds should be allowed to vote?

[MsAmerica]

Be honest - think back to when you were 16. Did you have an understanding of a broad range of issues? Did you pay serious attention to national news? Okay, even many adults may lapse on the score, but still, it seems crazy to me.

In the U.S., voting age had been 21 and the only reason it was lowered to 18 was that teens were being drafted to fight in Vietnam, and it was felt as unfair for them to have no say.

But at 16-18 they will still in the vast majority be economically dependent on their parents & living at home, not responsible for bills, rent etc.

That to me is a big difference from 18 when the majority with either be away at university or working.

This is about England and Wales not Scotland. Just because they do it doesn't mean it is a good idea, their government has recent history of terrible political decisions (which of course were not necessarily because 16 and 17 year olds can vote there).

Agree re economics

That's my question paraphrased!

Agree. There's a big difference between 16 and 18.

The idea that being in a Union makes you automatically a lefty is nonsense.

Do you remember the CPSA, a civil service union, electing a right winger as it's General Secretary ?

They were far from alone in such battles.

You’ve mentioned this a couple of times. Firstly, it’s an American Revolution idea. It isn’t a core British ideal. And we all know how everything is turning out for them. Secondly, we don't do it anyway.

You can work and pay tax as an immigrant. Don’t have citizenship, don’t have the vote. Prisoners could be paying tax and can’t vote. Peers can’t vote. It’s meaningless as a concept unless every tax-paying person can vote. And some people can vote who aren’t citizens of the UK. Citizens of the RoI who are resident. And a 16 yo does pay certain types of tax.

All the decisions that are terrible for young people that have been pushed through because only older people vote. Give young people a fighting chance to have lives. Housing, education, Europe, the environment. Please let them at least try to salvage some sort of future for themselves.

The concern I do have is 16 and 17 year olds are rarely financially independent. Will parents take their vote from them? Block voting has always concerned me - I doubt abused women get to mark their own ballot paper. It’s just more votes for the men.

I think postal votes need restricting. It is far to easy to abuse. A 16 year old may not dare question a violent father, they are school kids. So I think all but a very small amount (based on need) of ballot papers should be marked in full secrecy at the ballot box.

I’ve only in my life once voted for someone for someone else. And it was when I was teaching some young women in alternative schooling. Mostly either in care or estranged from their parents. I was doing life skills and we were on housing. We got onto politics because they were asking why housing for young people was so terrible. I said they needed to put pressure on their representatives to care about it. One of them said that she was going to call around all the candidates and ask about youth housing. All but one of them said some combination of, “oh, you’re 17, ask your parents”. The one took her seriously, called her back, committed to caring about youth housing, didn’t assume she had parents to vote for him.

I told her I would vote for him and did. And I told the canvassers as well.

So restrict postal votes for >18.

You can't marry in the UK until 18.

Many 16 year olds are much more politically astute and take more interest on works affairs than older people .
I have heard middle aged people being interviewed who have absolutely no idea how Government works or even the difference between the political parties. My sister in law voted Conservative because she thought John Major' looked like a nice person! (This was a long time ago!) She couldn't name one policy.
If people like that can vote I see no reason why 16 year olds shouldn't

Yes, older and a lot wiser. This is a desperate act by a desperate PM and everyone should have a say in it. It should be put to a vote.

I was very politically aware at 16 and my 17 and 22 year old also were - my DD’s secondary school had a faux parliament at school and they learned a lot from that, my DS is about to do politics for A levels and Uni so is very interested and knowledgeable about it. I think it’s a good idea

1 million NEETs in the UK, thats 1M with no income, many of whom can vote right now, most will live at home....

Dangerous precedent to say that only the financially independent should be able to vote.

Postal votes should be restricted & not just given to anyone who applies.

Absolutely not. Whilst some may be mature enough to make an informed decision the majority are not. The age you become legally an adult is 18 and that is when you should have the right to vote.

Age of criminal responsibility is 10yo.... so the law clearly thinks children can make informed choices

10yos know right from wrong, but they are less likely to understand nuances of economics.
It is like 'capacity' for older people. It isn't a yes/no issue, it is often decision dependent. Someone may no longer have capacity to understand complicated financial investments whilst still having capacity to know whether they want a shower or not.

You can get married at 16 in Scotland.

At 16 I was furious that I couldn't vote in the first election in my life time that the Tories were likely to lose (1997). I'd read every party manifesto and had serious concerns about the Labour party promises to control both inflation and interest rates.

I'd experienced poverty, parental disability, my parents divorce, watched my mum be a carer to my grandmother, helped my mum figure out the family budget with almost enough money for food and heating after the 13% mortgage. I'd dealt with an alcoholic step parent and suicide attempts in the immediate family.

I followed the news. I'm definitely less passionate now but passion isn't a reason to deny someone the vote.

My vote wouldn't have changed from 16 to 30 and only changed after 2010 because of developments in politics.

Not saying I agree with the voting age being reduced but just with the idea that 16 year olds don't follow politics.

It was in the manifesto and people are always complaining politicians don’t keep promises so of course they should do it. 16/17 year olds will represent 2% of the electorate and probably only half will vote so it’s not going to affect anything. A fuss about very little.

Name the countries in the UK.

If adults understood economics, even basically, we wouldn’t have Brexit.

We don't need a vote. It was in the Labour manifesto, and they were elected with a large majority. They already have a mandate to do this.

How well do you think most adults "understand the nuances of economics"?

If this is a prerequisite to voting, we'll need to introduce some sort of test. Are you up for that?