Should we lower the voting age?

I've yet to hear a good reason not to lower the voting age - the reasons that go around tend to be "kids can't be trusted to make good decisions," "kids will just vote for who their parents want them to," and all of the other variations on the same ideas that kept women and minorities from voting for all those years.

I've been paying income taxes since I was 14, sales tax since I was about 4 or 5, and could have been tried as an adult at about 12. I don't think that the voting age should be abolished - no one can really say that two year olds should be able to vote without raising a few eyebrows - but why not extend voting rights to any U.S. citizen over 14? Or, if that's too radical, how about citizens over 14 who file tax returns?

There is also, of course (let's be honest) the added dividend that younger voters tend to skew democratic. But, as the life expectancy gets higher, aren't OLDER voters getting an new edge, anyway?

I tried to keep from getting political in the draft to THE SMART ALECK'S GUIDE TO US HISTORY, but I did indulge in this sidebar on the subject:

[“By what right do you refuse to accept a vote of the citizen of the United States?” - Victoria Woodhull.
Did she just mean adult citizens?
Today, people say that citizens under age 18 shouldn’t be allowed to vote because they’d just vote for whoever their parents tell them to, or that kids just aren't smart enough to vote. Sound familiar? Many of the arguments against letting kids vote are the same ones that people used to stop women and black people from voting in centuries past. Some people say that the voting age should be lowered, and we here at the Smart Aleck’s Guide are all for it . Some of us on staff (Adam, for instance) have been paying income tax since the age of 14. And we could all have been tried as adults in court at 12. And while some might point out that kids aren’t always savvy enough to make wise political decisions, we can surely point out that many adults aren’t, either. So why keep the voting age at 18? Make noise. Act up. Call your congressman.]

Permalink Reply by Marva Dasef on October 1, 2008 at 8:22pm: Yes. Perhaps, like with licenses, a learning permit thing could be included for under-18 voters. I hate to even make an age cutoff, since I truly believe there are some really smart cookies at 13 and some totally stupid ones at 40. But to just cut off interested and informed citizens (and they are) below 17 just doesn't make sense. This would be a great reason for really good Civics classes. Pass the class and register to vote. Whatever age that might be.

Permalink Reply by Haddy-la on October 1, 2008 at 8:44pm: im a 13 year old kid but i dont belive that most kids at my age could responsibly vote. Today in history we talked about the election and one girl (im in gifted by the way) barley even knew the canidits names. Another thing is some kids havent even hit the large painful wall of reality yet and wouldnt be aable to make a decision that involved so many issuses. So some kids would be able to vote but a greater majority wouldnt. I know that some people are stupid forever but by the time your 18 you would think there would be less dummies than when your a teen but sometimes i wonder...

Permalink Reply by Fred on October 1, 2008 at 9:11pm: I think you're being a bit pessimistic and ageist. While I would agree that some kids in some areas from some families are't ready to vote, I would have to say that most of them are.
It really depends on your environment. People from big cities are more likely to have an interest in politics at a young age than people from small towns.
As a big city girl who moved to a small town, I have seen this first hand. I moved form a place where I too was in gifted. The people in my class were so involved in the elections. Some of my ex-class mates are friends with Obama, and have asked him questions about the election. They were well informed and knew to factor in all the information, not just to go with what their parents said.
When I moved to said small town, I was appalled. People didn't care about the election, or they didn't know.
As an under-eighteen myself, I know that I am ready to vote, and so are quite a few of my friends.

Permalink Reply by Rachel on October 1, 2008 at 8:55pm: I'm 14, and while I personally believe that I am ready to vote, most of my peers are most definitely not. It'd be nice if there was some way to test who was actually mature enough to vote.

Permalink Reply by Victoria on October 1, 2008 at 9:08pm: Well, I've wanted to vote since I was nine, and I definitely didn't just want to vote for who my parents wanted to vote for. My father is a Conservative and my mother's independent. I was all democrat. But I know a lot of people aren't like me, I'm in college and I know kids here who can't responsibly vote, and some just plain don't care (which I am horrified at). But, along with lowering the voting age, to maybe 16 or even 14, I think we should also allow people who may not be citizens to vote, if they've lived in the country for a certain amount of time. I know some very political teenagers who have lived here for most of their life, but aren't citizens, so it is like their voice doesn't matter. I'm also unsure why felons can't vote. Just because you commit a crime, doesn't mean you don't have an opinion politically. I think everyone who lives in America should have a vote, or else it's not really a democracy.

Permalink Reply by Katie on October 1, 2008 at 9:08pm: I say some kids should be able to vote. Give a test on the political process to kids 13-17, and question them on their political opinions. If they are mature and smart enough to vote, let them vote. If not, don't.

I'm fourteen, and I would know how to vote responsibly if I could, but a lot of people my age and older couldn't.

Permalink Reply by Adam Selzer on October 1, 2008 at 9:20pm: Well, if you include a question on their opinions, it's asking for trouble. But the idea that kids could apply to register to vote, then take a test of some sort, as one would have to do to drive, that might work better.

Those who couldn't vote responsibly probably wouldn't care enough to bother, anyway.

Permalink Reply by Sam on October 2, 2008 at 6:32pm: I really like that idea.

Permalink Reply by Haddy-la on October 2, 2008 at 9:26pm: you are so right

Permalink Reply by SupernovakGirl on October 2, 2008 at 10:05am: "Kids will just vote for who their parents want them to."

I've never understood that argument. Just because we're young doesn't mean we don't have our own opinions. I'm 16, and I strongly disagree with my parents' political views.

Just a few weeks ago, my 25-year-old sister (she will be 26 before election day) told me that she didn't know who to vote for. She asked me to tell her who to vote for, and as much as I would love my say in things, I wouldn't do it. I helped her research the candidates and find out which one she wanted to vote for. Unfortunately, she chose McCain, but my point is that some people who ARE old enough to vote don't have a clue about anything involving the election. She didn't even know who was running until just a few weeks ago.

Permalink Reply by Kira on October 2, 2008 at 5:11pm: THANK YOU.
my god.

then again, i don't know if i'd want some of the people in my school being able to vote... a couple of months ago, someone had said something about Obama, and this a girl on my bus said
"wait... who's obamaaaa??"
i wanted to cry.

maybe there should be some sort of test given to test your basic understanding of the current election and where everyone stands before you're allowed to vote.

Permalink Reply by Jessie on October 2, 2008 at 5:51pm: I'm fourteen and I would love to vote, but watching some of the kids in my social studies class every day I don't think that all the kids my age are. How are you supposed to determine which kids are ready to vote and which arn't? Sometimes I even think that eighteen is too young.