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By *vsnikki OP   TV/TS
over a year ago

Limavady

Personally I would not have said, that at 16, I would be able to apply a rational process to how I voted. It would have been entirely an emotional decision.

I would choose to retain the minimum voting age as 18. I have never heard any reasoning for reducing it to 16 that wouldn't equally apply to it being 10.

Views?

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By *vsnikki OP   TV/TS
over a year ago

Limavady


"Personally I would not have said, that at 16, I would be able to apply a rational process to how I voted. It would have been entirely an emotional decision.

I would choose to retain the minimum voting age as 18. I have never heard any reasoning for reducing it to 16 that wouldn't equally apply to it being 10.

Views?"

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By *iverscuMan
over a year ago

Berkshire

[Removed by poster at 19/02/16 10:46:29]

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By *iverscuMan
over a year ago

Berkshire

Yes i would agree with you there

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Think you're pretty much spot on.

At that age you're more likely to be looking at rooftop politics as opposed to rational thinking?

Having said that and totally contradicting all I've said....there's plenty of mature adults who offer less than mature youths?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I was competent in politics when I was 16. I come from a very political family and have been working on campaigns since I was about 10.

Do I think most people would be the same? Probably not. But then plenty of people vote at 18 who know less than some 16 year olds about elections.

-Courtney

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By *aneandpaulCouple
over a year ago

cleveleys

Think it should be a lot higher when people have paid into the system and done a days work just look at David Cameron what the fuck as he done in life like a lot of them politics is an easy way to get a living

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By *r ManxMan
over a year ago

NeverWhere

The Isle of Man has had the 16 vote for years and were the first British dependence to give women the vote and ban slavery, without any issues .If you are old enough to fight for your country you should be old enough to vote for the people who are going to send you to fight .

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Voting shouldn't just be about competence but also about contribution. The US lowered its voting age from 21 to 18 because eighteen year olds fight in wars and should therefore have the right to influence foreign policy. Competence definitely matters, but we should also ask whether sixteen year olds make meaningful contributions that would entitle them to vote. Many probably do by working and paying taxes. They can also join the military before they're 18. These things are not true of ten year olds.

-Marc

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By *ittle_brat_evie!!Woman
over a year ago

evesham


"Personally I would not have said, that at 16, I would be able to apply a rational process to how I voted. It would have been entirely an emotional decision.

I would choose to retain the minimum voting age as 18. I have never heard any reasoning for reducing it to 16 that wouldn't equally apply to it being 10.

Views?"

At 35 I still feel mine is an emotional reaction to voting. Age does not guarantee understanding and rationality.

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By *irty Girty From No 30Woman
over a year ago

Burbage


"Think you're pretty much spot on.

At that age you're more likely to be looking at rooftop politics as opposed to rational thinking?

Having said that and totally contradicting all I've said....there's plenty of mature adults who offer less than mature youths?

"

I think at 18 a lot vote the same as they would at 16 tbh

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By *aneandpaulCouple
over a year ago

cleveleys


"Think it should be a lot higher when people have paid into the system and done a days work just look at David Cameron what the fuck as he done in life like a lot of them politics is an easy way to get a living "
Don,t tell me about the I O M was there in the 70,s worked at Ronaldsway Aircraft i was a scum over a stop over an English bastard taking a manx mans job

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"The Isle of Man has had the 16 vote for years and were the first British dependence to give women the vote and ban slavery, without any issues .If you are old enough to fight for your country you should be old enough to vote for the people who are going to send you to fight ."

In the modern army, you are only old enough to fight and deploy onto the frontline when you reach 18. So I agree, you are only old enough to fight when you are old enough to vote.

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By *educedWoman
over a year ago

Birmingham

I believe that most 16 year olds have a better grasp of politics now then when I was 16 what with the introduction of citizenship into classrooms and how popular culture has and continues to influence politics.

Given the choice and looking at, for example, the Scottish Referendum in which 16 year olds were allowed to vote (and there was a huge increase in 16 - 24 voter turn out) what's the worst that can happen?

16 year old's are not children. At 16 the majority of young people are thinking about their future. University, careers, housing. It seems a pity that they don't get an opportunity to influence that.

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By *rcticFoxxxWoman
over a year ago

Hereabouts

I'm 22 and still haven't voted. Lowering the age will allow serious 16 year olds to vote (I know a few people who would have loved to vote at 16), but mostly I think it'll be voting because that's who your friends voted for or not voting at all.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

18 works for me....

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By *entaur_UKMan
over a year ago

Cannock


"Voting shouldn't just be about competence but also about contribution. The US lowered its voting age from 21 to 18 because eighteen year olds fight in wars and should therefore have the right to influence foreign policy. Competence definitely matters, but we should also ask whether sixteen year olds make meaningful contributions that would entitle them to vote. Many probably do by working and paying taxes. They can also join the military before they're 18. These things are not true of ten year olds.

-Marc"

Should we also lower the age to legally buy alcohol to 16?

To gain entry into a night club at 16?

16 year olds are not adults.

The voting age for general election is 18, I think it should remain the same for referendum.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Becoming an adult is not an over-night thing...... it's very much a gradual process.......which in some cases takes many decades.......

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By *educedWoman
over a year ago

Birmingham


"Voting shouldn't just be about competence but also about contribution. The US lowered its voting age from 21 to 18 because eighteen year olds fight in wars and should therefore have the right to influence foreign policy. Competence definitely matters, but we should also ask whether sixteen year olds make meaningful contributions that would entitle them to vote. Many probably do by working and paying taxes. They can also join the military before they're 18. These things are not true of ten year olds.

-Marc

Should we also lower the age to legally buy alcohol to 16?

To gain entry into a night club at 16?

16 year olds are not adults.

The voting age for general election is 18, I think it should remain the same for referendum. "

They should DEFINITELY have a right to vote in any referendum that affects the future of this country. The impact of either a YES or a NO vote has more of a longer term impact on them and their future then it does mine. Most of the young people who I work with (and we are talking about some of the most marginalised young people in the country) have a better grasp of politics then most adults and given the choice they would at least exercise their right to influence unlike the vast majority of this country.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Think it should be a lot higher when people have paid into the system and done a days work just look at David Cameron what the fuck as he done in life like a lot of them politics is an easy way to get a living "

A perfect example of an adult not showing reason in their political opinion.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Voting shouldn't just be about competence but also about contribution. The US lowered its voting age from 21 to 18 because eighteen year olds fight in wars and should therefore have the right to influence foreign policy. Competence definitely matters, but we should also ask whether sixteen year olds make meaningful contributions that would entitle them to vote. Many probably do by working and paying taxes. They can also join the military before they're 18. These things are not true of ten year olds.

-Marc

Should we also lower the age to legally buy alcohol to 16?

To gain entry into a night club at 16?

16 year olds are not adults.

The voting age for general election is 18, I think it should remain the same for referendum. "

You're conflating two different things. Taxes and military service are civic contributions and voting is a civic right. Voting is a chance to influence government policies related to the spending and foreign policy that people who are 18 may contribute to.

Night clubs and alcohol have nothing to do with that. These aren't civic matters that under 18 tax payers and soldiers are contributing to.

-Marc

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By *r ManxMan
over a year ago

NeverWhere


"The Isle of Man has had the 16 vote for years and were the first British dependence to give women the vote and ban slavery, without any issues .If you are old enough to fight for your country you should be old enough to vote for the people who are going to send you to fight .

In the modern army, you are only old enough to fight and deploy onto the frontline when you reach 18. So I agree, you are only old enough to fight when you are old enough to vote. "

Must be my age when i was a teenager i had friends who were 16 serving in NI and Bosnia

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Hello all,

I think 21 is a more suitable age to have the right to vote.

Someone mentioned 16 year old and alcohol, I don't think it's widely known that a 16 year old can legally be served alcohol in a pub or restaurant as long as it is at a table having a meal.

Alec

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By *irtyGirlWoman
over a year ago

Edinburgh

I think yes, at 16 you should be able to vote.

I don't think that you can pick and choose which elections they get to vote in when it suits as happened in the Scottish referendum.

Make a decision and stick with it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I was quite skeptical about it but then the level of engagement by the 16&17 year old voters in the Scottish referendum was really good. As far as the "they'll just vote for who their friends vote for" argument - a fair number of over 18s are guilty of that too.

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

I'd allow 16+ vote for the European referendum, as it'll affect more of their lifetime.

There are adults who are equally clueless - it's not age specific.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"The Isle of Man has had the 16 vote for years and were the first British dependence to give women the vote and ban slavery, without any issues .If you are old enough to fight for your country you should be old enough to vote for the people who are going to send you to fight .

In the modern army, you are only old enough to fight and deploy onto the frontline when you reach 18. So I agree, you are only old enough to fight when you are old enough to vote.

Must be my age when i was a teenager i had friends who were 16 serving in NI and Bosnia "

That may be the case. I'm not sure on what legislation was in place during the 80s and those conflicts. I know that in the last 10 years or so, any recruit under 18 will not be sent to an area of conflict. This is stipulated in the armed forces act 2006 and renewed in 2011. I presume it would have been in the bill preceding these too.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"They should DEFINITELY have a right to vote in any referendum that affects the future of this country. The impact of either a YES or a NO vote has more of a longer term impact on them and their future then it does mine. Most of the young people who I work with (and we are talking about some of the most marginalised young people in the country) have a better grasp of politics then most adults and given the choice they would at least exercise their right to influence unlike the vast majority of this country.

"

My experience has been the opposite. Lots of young people have a great deal to say, and plenty of people to blame but little interest in national politics.

Also the majority of this country DOES vote at elections.

For me 18 is fine as the age of adult responsibility.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I was competent in politics when I was 16. I come from a very political family and have been working on campaigns since I was about 10.

Do I think most people would be the same? Probably not. But then plenty of people vote at 18 who know less than some 16 year olds about elections.

-Courtney "

This is the problem, there are plenty of people in their forties who I consider too stupid to vote using anything other than their most recent emotion.

Failing some kind of test to filter out morons, I'd let them vote. Btw: such a test is completely impractical.

Age is a pretty poor correlator with political competence. I was far more interested in the subject then, than now. It was new and I had hope...

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