Lower the voting age to 16

[ukyp]

Campaign proposal

To lower the voting age to 16

Purpose of campaign

Lowering the voting age to 16 will allow young people to hold the government to account on issues which affect them. It’s an added incentive to young people to engage in political participation. Young people enjoy being trusted, and would embrace the opportunity. It will allow them to go straight from citizenship lessons to the ballot box.

Read more about this campaign

Discuss

· What do you think of this campaign idea?
· Is this issue important to you?
· Is the campaign realistic and achievable?
· What challenges would this campaign face?
· How could we make this campaign successful?

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[LordAnubis]

I think that this campaign will gain alot of support, although I don't personally support it. I just feel that there aren't enough people with a solid understanding of politics to make it viable. This, and the fact that young people aren't directly affected by voting issues enough, so may not look holisitically at the issues and policies being put forward.

The issue for me isn't massively important, as I feel much stronger about problems with the inefficency and unfairness of the education system.

I think the campaign will gain a fair amount of support due to the idea of it, but some older generations may be less keen on the idea - both due to the media's portrayl, and their real life experiences with teenages. I certainly know very few people who would actually take something like voting seriously at this age - let alone care! I don't think there's the majority of serious politically minded youths out there. It's a small minority against the majority.

[MYP for Maidstone]

This will change the course of democracy if it happens... and for the better!

We will demonstrate to the world that young people up and down the country want to have a say in who runs their country.

And if you are going to say that they are not going to take it seriously, in the Kent Youth County Council, a higher percentage of people voted than they did in the proper elections.

What is your response to this?

[Bex]

I agree the voting age should be lowered i as well as a lot of others feel that they have the responsibility and intelligence to be able to make an informed decision about our country. I think if given the responsibilty to vote many young people would and they would make sure they made an appropriate decision and not just muck about . It will give teenagers a sense of community being involved in an important event but also make them feel important which hopefully will lead to many more younger people being aware of politics and world issues unlike most youths (me being one of them ! ).

[LordAnubis]

That that may just be a localised example, and just because more people voted than in the GE doesn't necessarily mean that more young people voted than didn't. It just shows how few people felt strongly about events at the last election. Things have come alot since then, and I imagine that the next general election will yield a higher turnout than those previous due to less people feeling apathetic - or 'hapathy' towards gov't.

I still think that young people are somewhat protected and seperated from the rest of the goings on of society, as not all young people have to pay taxes, work, be affected by mortages, unemployment, NHS etc. They do need a bigger say on education however, but I'm not sure if reduction in the voting age is the most effective way to tackle this.

Organisations like UKYP give young people a voice, on young people's issues. This yields a higher rate of effective ness and representation that it would if it all got merged into a lowering of voting age. There would still be a large section of young people who would feel disconnected and alienated from it. In my politics class, not everyone has decieded on their party allegience, and have said that they won't be able to fully until they get out into the 'real' world.

I think it's important to encourage political involvement, but only when you are directly affected by policy decisions can you truly judge them.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by MYP for Maidstone

And if you are going to say that they are not going to take it seriously, in the Kent Youth County Council, a higher percentage of people voted than they did in the proper elections.

What is your response to this?

My response is that Kent (or some schools) might make all the students vote during tutortime?

[Liam Hannan]

Originally Posted by LordAnubis

I think it's important to encourage political involvement, but only when you are directly affected by policy decisions can you truly judge them.

I don't think that's true at all.

I am not affected by the Holocaust; I figure it's pretty easy to judge the policy though. Extreme example, but same principles apply across the board.

Also, your main concern seems to be that YP are ignorant of politics? This is not exclusive to young people, it is in fact endemic to a western liberal democracy. People are allowed to be ignorant and opt out if they want. You cannot, and ought not, to change that.

What you can change is who is allowed to opt in - which is what this campaign is about. Ignorant 16 year olds will by ignorant 18 year olds one day, and will have the vote. Interested 16 year olds, if they are not allowed to part may not develop into interested 18 year olds (the earlier one first votes the more likely one is to vote subsequently) and develop a feeling of disenfranchisement which puts them off politics.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I disagree too. I know too many people who will not take it seriously or will vote for the party that has issues directly affecting them, not caring about their other policies.

[LordAnubis]

Originally Posted by Liam Hannan

I am not affected by the Holocaust; I figure it's pretty easy to judge the policy though. Extreme example, but same principles apply across the board.

I'd hardly put genocide on the same level as raising a tax - but I think I get your point.


I'm saying that most people I know who are young (my age) are ignorant of politics. I merely fear that this may lead to people who think it will be a laugh to vote for the BNP, or indeed the Monster Raving Looney party (or similar), and end up distorting the national results without fully understanding the consequences.

[Liam Hannan]

Originally Posted by LordAnubis

I'd hardly put genocide on the same level as raising a tax - but I think I get your point.


I'm saying that most people I know who are young (my age) are ignorant of politics. I merely fear that this may lead to people who think it will be a laugh to vote for the BNP, or indeed the Monster Raving Looney party (or similar), and end up distorting the national results without fully understanding the consequences.

Been there, done it, got the t-shirt.

I've been involved in enough elections to promise you - the ignorance does not go away. It is always there. That's why low turnout isn't necessarily a bad thing... it keeps these idiots away and the fringe parties on the fringe.

People are ignorant. That must be got past. The few who are interested deserve the right to hold the government to account - especially when the gov't is targeting them now (raising the school leaving age? no need)