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Opinion: Why voting age should be lowered to 17
San Jose Mercury-News ^ | August 14, 2017 | By NAAVA ELLENBERG

Posted on 08/14/2017 12:30:47 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Many 18-year-olds are registered for their first semester of college classes, but very few of them are registered to vote. As adults in a democracy, young people have this great privilege and responsibility, yet very few take advantage of the opportunity. Their disregard is not the result of indifference or immaturity, but of an overwhelming amount of new responsibilities.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 (ACA 10) is a bipartisan constitutional amendment that would lower the voting age from 18 to 17 in California. This may seem like a minor shift, but it would be pivotal in youth turnout for elections.

At 17, most teens are taking a civics class in school, yet they are unable to play a role in the subjects they are studying. ACA 10’s enactment would allow students to become active participants in the legislative process they are studying. Teachers could encourage voter registration, schools could be polling locations on election day, and voting will become as much of a senior class tradition as homecoming and pep rallies.

By passing ACA 10 and actively encouraging 17-year-olds to register and vote, voter turnout is likely to increase. After that first vote is cast at 17, a habit will be formed, and those who voted will then be more likely to vote in the next election. ACA 10 will catch youth at a time when they are still connected to their school, their home, and their community, rather than expecting their first ballot to be cast at a time when their lives are in transition.

The age of 18 will always be the time of class registration, a new place to live, and finding a job. Let 17 be the time to vote and support the passage of ACA 10.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: adulthood; california; liberalagenda; lofan; teenagers; votingage
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To: T-Bone Texan

As I remember that was the criticism at the time, that female sufferage essentially gave a married man two votes.


61 posted on 08/14/2017 1:17:03 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Safetgiver
Yes, they ARE criminals, but they are still "anybody".

Clear, cogent writing is more specific than how you wrote that post.

62 posted on 08/14/2017 1:18:14 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
I dissent. We should be restricting the suffrage, not cheapening it. Cheapening it has simply gone to far.

Threat To Liberty

63 posted on 08/14/2017 1:20:51 PM PDT by Ohioan
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Voting age should be raised to 30. That is when most people start to pay attention and really pay taxes..


64 posted on 08/14/2017 1:21:23 PM PDT by Davy Crocket
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Are they serious??

Can our young adults be any dumber at that age? They have no jobs, are taught no history in school, many are functionally illiterate and many live in a pot induced coma for the most part...Oh wait, I think I just described the dnc base.

65 posted on 08/14/2017 1:40:55 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: pgkdan
Raise it to 25 year old citizen property owners. We will call them Freemen.
66 posted on 08/14/2017 1:42:54 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
At 17, most teens are taking a civics class in school, yet they are unable to play a role in the subjects they are studying understand that the United States is a representative Republic under a Constitution —not a 'Demokratsye'— nor even differentiate between true Civic responsibility and "Social Justice" …
67 posted on 08/14/2017 1:43:28 PM PDT by mikrofon (Moron Monday BUMP)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Voting should be restricted to property owners


68 posted on 08/14/2017 1:46:11 PM PDT by bert (K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column)
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To: DiogenesLamp

The amendment that did the most damage was 17; it removed the leash with which the states could keep the federal government in check, turning the Senate into merely a more-exclusive version of the House.


69 posted on 08/14/2017 1:47:31 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Mears

And, I rent so I couldn’t either. Mmmmm


70 posted on 08/14/2017 1:51:51 PM PDT by ozaukeemom
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Wild in the streets. Google it if you’re not familiar with it, thats where dim0s are trying to take us.


71 posted on 08/14/2017 1:55:48 PM PDT by weezel
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To: ozaukeemom

Well that would give you a goal, then.


72 posted on 08/14/2017 2:00:14 PM PDT by papertyger
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To: Mears

If in all that time you never thought to have your husband put your name on any of the marriage’s real assets, you don’t deserve to vote.


73 posted on 08/14/2017 2:02:31 PM PDT by papertyger
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To: T-Bone Texan

The 26th Amendment didn’t lower the voting age from 25, but rather 21. Two or three states, already had 18 or 19 as their voting age, the rest were already at 21 which used to be the traditional age of adulthood for men.

If it were repealed, I very much doubt that any state would try to raise voting age back to 21. The “optics” would be awful and you’d face the wrath of people who could vote. Being against lowering the voting age is much safer because the subjects involved can’t vote. But there is nothing in the Constitution that prevents a state from lowering the voting age and I doubt that it would even require a state constitutional amendment.


74 posted on 08/14/2017 2:04:16 PM PDT by hanamizu
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To: pgkdan

Raise it to 25 year old property owners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because renters don’t pay property tax through their monthly rent payment?


75 posted on 08/14/2017 2:10:00 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Honestly, I think the voting age should be raised to 50 so people can see and fully understand the evil of liberalism before they ever are allowed to vote.


76 posted on 08/14/2017 2:21:50 PM PDT by lwoodham (Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

It should be raised to at least 40 when childish idiots typically stop being liberals.


77 posted on 08/14/2017 2:25:24 PM PDT by CodeToad (AA)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I would support a constitutional amendment limiting voting to adults with an IQ of 100 or higher.


78 posted on 08/14/2017 2:30:58 PM PDT by OIFVeteran
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To: Dilbert San Diego

I’m not going to flame you. These snowflakes only paid attention to this election because they thought they would get a big college freebie.


79 posted on 08/14/2017 3:00:27 PM PDT by Guardian Sebastian
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Brilliant! What a marvelous idea! What can possibly go wrong with this?

From: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Population Affairs (OPA)

“Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex, the part of the frontal lobes lying just behind the forehead, is often referred to as the “CEO of the brain.”

This brain region is responsible for cognitive analysis and abstract thought, and the moderation of “correct” behavior in social situations. The prefrontal cortex takes in information from all of the senses and orchestrates thoughts and actions to achieve specific goals.

The prefrontal cortex is one of the last regions of the brain to reach maturation. This delay may help to explain why some adolescents act the way they do. The so-called “executive functions” of the human prefrontal cortex include:

Focusing attention
Organizing thoughts and problem solving
Foreseeing and weighing possible consequences of behavior
Considering the future and making predictions
Forming strategies and planning
Ability to balance short-term rewards with long term goals
Shifting/adjusting behavior when situations change
Impulse control and delaying gratification
Modulation of intense emotions
Inhibiting inappropriate behavior and initiating appropriate behavior
Simultaneously considering multiple streams of information when faced with complex and challenging information

This brain region gives an individual the capacity to exercise “good judgment” when presented with difficult life situations. Brain research indicating that brain development is not complete until near the age of 25, refers specifically to the development of the prefrontal cortex.”


80 posted on 08/14/2017 3:10:08 PM PDT by elteemike (Light travels faster than sound...That's why so many people appear bright until you hear them speak)
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