Minimum voting age 15 years?

[furface]

I've been thinking about this. Would it be worth trying to get the minimum voting age reduced to say 15 years in certain states? It could help inject new ideas into a lot of issues. In California it could have helped pass Prop 19.

[Madly_Sane]

In California it could have helped pass Prop 19.
LOL, yea

[RileyE104]

I've always believed that if you're below 18 and WORK then you should get to vote because even though you can't they still take money out of your paycheck. People who work deserve to have a say in where their tax dollars go.

[furface]

I've always believed that if you're below 18 and WORK then you should get to vote because even though you can't they still take money out of your paycheck. People who work deserve to have a say in where their tax dollars go.

It would be great if people who receive money from the government were barred from voting.

[justinc.1089]

NO.


Most young people tend to vote for statists. Its sad but true, just look at statistics. They show info like this even on the news all the time when talking about voting demographics. CNN showed that most people younger than 30 voted for democrats last night actually, and barely any people younger than 30 voted for Tea Party candidates.

Pot is the ONLY liberty friendly issue young people as a whole will vote for.

I'm 21, but I realize I am an exception to my age demographic sadly. :(

Generally from what I have noticed from my personal experience is that like statistics show, most people around my age vote for a bigger state, and the few that are truly informed are libertarians, and vote that way like us, but those are greatly outnumbered by the uninformed.:(

[Kregisen]

Voting rights should come at adulthood when full rights come in.....if 18 is too high, lower it to 16. But it should be the same for drinking, porn, cigarettes, voting, and everything else.

[Travlyr]

That wouldn't make any difference. Less than 3% of the people have any idea what, or who, they are voting for. The TV is the control mechanism.To make a difference, get control of the airwaves.

[justinc.1089]

It would be great if people who receive money from the government were barred from voting.

Ha that would exclude about 50% of the population, literally. Good luck making that happen!

I personally think what you said should be put in place as well as:

Answering some very basic questions, like what state you're in, district, showing you can read and write in english or at least some language I suppose may be good enough too, and some other extremely basic things. This would help to discourage people like Al Greene and Hank Johnson from being able to vote, although I suppose people could still vote for them...

And maybe some kind of property ownership requirement. I would have to put a lot more thought into this, but if I'm not mistaken people used to have to own property of some sort to be able to vote.

[mconder]

How about we just make it do there's no age limit as long as you can pass a test about The Constitution.

[Eroberer]

Owning property is important because those with something to lose wouldn't be so eager to have an out of control government searching for more ways of paying for its ever increasing expenditures. However, trying to get that changed back would be nearly impossible. It would be easier to make welfare recipient sign a contract declaring that they voluntarily give up the right to vote during the time they receive money and for a two year period after payments stop.

[FrankRep]

I've been thinking about this. Would it be worth trying to get the minimum voting age reduced to say 15 years in certain states? It could help inject new ideas into a lot of issues. In California it could have helped pass Prop 19.

State Issue.

[oyarde]

I've always believed that if you're below 18 and WORK then you should get to vote because even though you can't they still take money out of your paycheck. People who work deserve to have a say in where their tax dollars go.

Agree.

[Modern_Matthew]

Less restrictions and a change to instant-runoff voting.

[MelissaWV]

Owning property is important because those with something to lose wouldn't be so eager to have an out of control government searching for more ways of paying for its ever increasing expenditures. However, trying to get that changed back would be nearly impossible. It would be easier to make welfare recipient sign a contract declaring that they voluntarily give up the right to vote during the time they receive money and for a two year period after payments stop.

This gets brought up all the time, and I cringe and fear the day when someone decides to propose this as a requirement.

Do you own your home? Think carefully before you answer that. A lot of people are making payments on their homes. A lot of others choose to live in apartments (but still pay proxy property taxes that are included in their rent). People who don't own property still pay a cubic assload of taxes one way or another. People who "rent" and whose property is still technically the bank's property also pay into the system and get screwed over pretty regularly by it.

Also, if your house is not in your name, tough luck. If you are living with someone, contribute to the household, but your name is not on the deed... you don't own squat, and don't get to vote.

[furface]

Do you own your home? Think carefully before you answer that.

Here's who owns my house in decreasing order of legal rights of ownership.

1. The State of California by entitlement of 1.2% of its market value per annum in perpetuity.

2. My local city by right of local zoning ordinances telling me what I can do with it.

3. The federal government by various 10th Amendment violating property grabs.

4. My mortgage company.

5. Me.

[oyarde]

Here's who owns my house in decreasing order of legal rights of ownership.

1. The State of California by entitlement of 1.2% of its market value per annum in perpetuity.

2. My local city by right of local zoning ordinances telling me what I can do with it.

3. The federal government by various 10th Amendment violating property grabs.

4. My mortgage company.

5. Me.

Yes , My county owns mine & my mortgage co.

[oyarde]

First time propert tax is unpaid for twelve months it goes to sherriff auction.

[VaderM5]

Seriously? It would mean more votes for liberal democrats, obama, or any other MTV created "fad" candidate.

[Noob]

Owning property is important because those with something to lose wouldn't be so eager to have an out of control government searching for more ways of paying for its ever increasing expenditures. However, trying to get that changed back would be nearly impossible. It would be easier to make welfare recipient sign a contract declaring that they voluntarily give up the right to vote during the time they receive money and for a two year period after payments stop.
In Idaho some elections do require you to own property to vote in still.

[Anti Federalist]

Voting rights should come at adulthood when full rights come in.....if 18 is too high, lower it to 16. But it should be the same for drinking, porn, cigarettes, voting, and everything else.

That^^^

And the point about people younger than 18 being taxed but not allowed to vote is valid one.

Rather than lowering the voting age, try this: no taxation, of any kind, shall be levied on any person under the age of 18.

[oyarde]

That^^^

And the point about people younger than 18 being taxed but not allowed to vote is valid one.

Rather than lowering the voting age, try this: no taxation, of any kind, shall be levied on any person under the age of 18.

I agree that there should be no tax on those who are not allowed to vote. I started paying at 15, went into the Army at 17 , not supposed to be able to vote until 18 or drink until 21 . I was overseas pretty much continuosly 18 - 21 and the most part 21 - 22 and paying state and county tax .

[tpreitzel]

Oh no! We even need to eliminate the 19th amendment ... :)