Voting at 16 (1 Viewer)

[LoveHateSchool]

Out of all of my friends that would care enough to vote, none of them would vote Liberal. I would love to vote. But to the person saying that if they have a job and can drive, if you make it compulsory for 16-17 year olds A) if they don't have P's, they would potentially have problem getting to a voting thing and B) if they don't have a job and they get fined for not turning up (though I thought you could get fined for not registering to vote when it's compulsory)

Probably hard to have an unbias political education class, seeing as how most teachers are a lil left. (Least in my area).

 

[Ivorytw]

Yes and they're especially libel to be sued if they make any leftist comments, which they are very aware of if you take any modern history classes.

 

[Chemical Ali]

Considering the general discourse among the broader masses in this country ranges between extreme right to far right to tabloid right, what would be a leftist comment exactly?

 

[Lentern]

. But to the person saying that if they have a job and can drive, if you make it compulsory for 16-17 year olds A) if they don't have P's, they would potentially have problem getting to a voting thing and B) if they don't have a job and they get fined for not turning up (though I thought you could get fined for not registering to vote when it's compulsory)

I don't exactly follow what you're saying here but my point was in response to the claim that they are unable to assume legal responsibility. If they can assume legal responsibility for driving, be charged for speeding, drink driving etc than it would be no astronomical jump for them to assume the responsibility to vote. Some might suggest it's a smaller responsibility. The same can be said about the responsibilities attached to working.

 

[Existential]

Mumble wrote a little thing about this today, the readership of the Australian seems spectacularly opposed to it, writing off young people as stupid and immature. I'm interested in what a younger view on this is. I hate people who try and dictate the contents of a thread but it would be preferable if for the sake of this thread we assumed democracy itself was not a bad thing.

i think 16/17-yr-olds should be able to vote. To all those who say 16/17-yr-olds wouldn't take it seriously - look at most of the population who don't take it seriously. Our ill-informed democracy doesn't come from our age structure of voters, but by who takes it seriously. I think on one hand 16/17-yr-olds SHOULD be able to vote ie. be part of the voting population, but on the other hand i DON'T think the whole voting population should be FORCED to vote.

 

[Existential]

Out of all of my friends that would care enough to vote, none of them would vote Liberal. I would love to vote. But to the person saying that if they have a job and can drive, if you make it compulsory for 16-17 year olds A) if they don't have P's, they would potentially have problem getting to a voting thing and B) if they don't have a job and they get fined for not turning up (though I thought you could get fined for not registering to vote when it's compulsory)

C) Probably hard to have an unbias political education class, seeing as how most teachers are a lil left. (Least in my area).

A) Most "voting things" are close to people and easy to get to without driving. That argument is rather irrelevant here. Also, have you perhaps heard of public transport?
B) You're not making sense.
C) Education systems (in NSW for one) tend to be "a lil left" esp. with regard to feminism and ATSIs.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

A) Public transport barely exists where I am. Like no joke.
B) Okay, so if you make voting compulsory for 16-17 year olds they would be breaking the law for not voting. Therefore subject to the fines, however, you would have to delegate paying it to the parents if they weren't employed. But I see Lentern's point seeing as many already have legal responsibility for driving, so I see their point

Wow didn't know you could sue teachers for making leftist comments (esp when teaching history). I think my history teacher may be slightly right though, which is a bit ironic.

So my vote is still optional voting for 16-17 year olds

 

[Lentern]

I suppose as nobody else took my advice and he seems firmly grounded here I should unblock existential then?

 

[Existential]

A) Public transport barely exists where I am. Like no joke.
B) Okay, so if you make voting compulsory for 16-17 year olds they would be breaking the law for not voting. Therefore subject to the fines, however, you would have to delegate paying it to the parents if they weren't employed. But I see Lentern's point seeing as many already have legal responsibility for driving, so I see their point

Wow didn't know you could sue teachers for making leftist comments (esp when teaching history). I think my history teacher may be slightly right though, which is a bit ironic.

So my vote is still optional voting for 16-17 year olds

If you read my position you would see that I argued for voluntary voting for 16/17-yr-olds too.

 

[harrisony]

Imagine what the government would resort to in terms of buying the votes of younger and arguably more naive and gullable voters.

this

 

[Azure]

I suppose as nobody else took my advice and he seems firmly grounded here I should unblock existential then?

Perhaps the time has come.

 

[SylviaB]

Regardless of whether you decide to vote or not I think it should be compulsory to be educated without a political bias.

thats 100% impossible

 

[Azure]

thats 100% impossible

Unfortunately this is spot on. It's literally impossible.

 

[funkshen]

Why is it acceptable to ponder whether someone should be allowed to vote but not whether someone shouldn't be allowed to vote?

 

[Lolsmith]

Why is it acceptable to ponder whether someone should be allowed to vote but not whether someone shouldn't be allowed to vote?

We're not going to argue about the legitimacy of democracy shut up

Never 16 year olds shouldn't be allowed to do anything

 

[Ivorytw]

Not really, if you give them a list of their policies, whose involved what the effect of each policy is both pros and cons. Political debate is encouraged and people are most likely going to have a bias in that situation but that's real life. You have to learn to make your own decisions backed with the information you've been given.

 

[Lolsmith]

Not really, if you give them a list of their policies, whose involved what the effect of each policy is both pros and cons. Political debate is encouraged and people are most likely going to have a bias in that situation but that's real life. You have to learn to make your own decisions backed with the information you've been given.

How many 16 year olds can do this though

 

[Ivorytw]

I think as many 16 year olds are capable of making an informed vote as any other age bracket.

Once again, in my opinion I think it's an argument of how intelligent or capable you are over how old you are.

Education is a big thing in politics and proposed policies and I think that kids should be able to have a say on what goes on in their classroom. I know I would have liked to.

 

[Funky Monk]

We would be better served if kids could somehow be taught the processes of critical thinking, the nature of logic, burdens of proof and all that jazz. An unbiased political education doesn't really exist.

 

[Jimmy Recard]

I'm sixteen. I don't think I, or many people my age would take voting seriously.

im 21 and i havent even enrolled

no voting for me ever

cant it be optional period

boom

Nope. Most of the 16 year olds I know are misinformed and will vote for liberal.

trollface.jpg

stop that

Out of all of my friends that would care enough to vote, none of them would vote Liberal. I would love to vote. But to the person saying that if they have a job and can drive, if you make it compulsory for 16-17 year olds A) if they don't have P's, they would potentially have problem getting to a voting thing and B) if they don't have a job and they get fined for not turning up (though I thought you could get fined for not registering to vote when it's compulsory)

Probably hard to have an unbias political education class, seeing as how most teachers are a lil left. (Least in my area).

why do your friends hate freedom

Perhaps if there was a political information class where high-schoolers could have a chance to be unbiasedly educated about either party and make an informed non compulsory decision where friendly debate is encouraged.

Regardless of whether you decide to vote or not I think it should be compulsory to be educated without a political bias.

impossible

We would be better served if kids could somehow be taught the processes of critical thinking, the nature of logic, burdens of proof and all that jazz. An unbiased political education doesn't really exist.

please keep logic out of this mate this is politics we are talking about