Should 16-Year-Olds Vote?

The answer to that question is currently being pursued by the British and it appears that it will be determined by public opinion. Alfred Lee filed a report in The Straits Times which describes the process.

The Electoral Commission, set up by Parliament in November 2000 to find ways to encourage more people to take part in democratic processes, yesterday launched a three-month consultation process to see if the public wants the voting age reduced from 18 to 16.

Public opinion will also be sought on whether the minimum age for candidates for Members of Parliament should be reduced from the current 21.

The commission will make its proposals for modernising the electoral system based on the results of the consultation, during which opinions will be sought from all corners including youth bodies and political parties.

If public opinion warrants, in the near future it is possible that 16-year-olds will be voting for 18-year-olds to be Members of Parliament. And, it is theoretically possible for the government to be headed by an 18-year-old Prime Minister.

This notion of lowering the age for voting was prompted by low turnout in recent elections and is seen as a way to increase citizen involvement in the political process.

My comment concerning this story is "What the hell are these people thinking? Hasn't anyone picked up a copy of Lord of the Flies and seen what happens when kids are in charge? Granted, it was fiction, but I speculate not far from reality. 16 and 18-year-olds are at best very young adults taking baby steps into maturity and making mistakes due to lack of knowledge and experience. At worst, they are irresponsible teenagers who act like irresponsible teenagers.

Thank God the framers of the Constitution of the United States made it a requirement that anyone elected to Congress had to be a minimum of 25 years of age, 30 for a Senator, and 35 for the President. They recognized the absolute necessity of having some maturity in the country's leadership. The boneheads in Briton need to acquire some common sense.