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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: Oldeconomybuyer

The voting age should be raised to 40 after you have a job, have kids, have a mortgage and have learned a little something about real life.


81 posted on 08/14/2017 3:36:09 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Yep:

This new realization comes just in time to get ready for dumping on Trump indirectly in 2018, and directly in 2020.


82 posted on 08/14/2017 3:47:10 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - JRRT)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Good Lord, no. and revoke the right to vote for anyone under 25 without a job.


83 posted on 08/14/2017 3:56:04 PM PDT by ronniesgal (still winning (and a self satisfied Pr!ck, according to WMarshal))
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I disagree-strongly.

Rather than lower the age of suffrage, I suggest we both raise it 21 AND require that all potential voters become eligible only after presenting a paid property, income or business tax receipt to the clerk of the county. To vote in local, city county state or US elections, you must be able to prove you paid into the governing effort- taxes if you must.

The progressive era/age of entitlement voting, along with everything else must be rolled back and only vested citizen be eligible to vote- as they have to pay for the outcomes. Cicero wisely stated something along these line- “a republic/democracy will exist only as long as it takes for the dirt bag populace to realize they hold the keys to the treasury....” ( lots of editorial license on my part of course)

Think if you, as a parent, had to allow all of your underage and self-motivated children to vote on how the family income was spent- and be held to that outcome. The proverbial cookie jar is one thing, our nations course and direction are another.

Under 21? Don’t pay taxes? Grow up and step up into the role of a responsible citizen. No? Go away, and let the real men and women of the nation do their duty. It IS only fair.


84 posted on 08/14/2017 4:36:42 PM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The age to vote should be the same as the required age to drink alcohol or use tobacco.


85 posted on 08/14/2017 5:02:26 PM PDT by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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To: Wyrd bið ful aræd

Wow.just.wow
Can you name a founding father other than Washington who was a “veteran”? It’s not just vets who have this countries interest at heart. Infact, I have met quite a few military, both active and retired who are mindless bleeding heart liberals.
Sometimes the people who are supposed to be on our side fight is more than the opposition.


86 posted on 08/14/2017 6:12:29 PM PDT by Oil Object Insp
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To: Oil Object Insp

In addition to the ones mentioned here, I would also add Thomas Paine to the list. Although he didn’t serve in Continental Congress or sign the Declaration of Independence, his role in bringing the document into being was vital. He served in the Continental Army.

Seventeen of the signers of the DOI served in the military during the Revolution. Thomas Nelson commanded Virginia military forces at the Battle of Yorktown and famously repulsed a British assault there. William Whipple served with the New Hampshire militia and played a major role in sealing off Johnny Burgoyne’s retreat from Saratoga. Oliver Wolcott commanded the Connecticut regiments that defended New York during that campaign and also took part in Burgoyne’s demise. Caesar Rodney served as a Major General in the Delaware militia and famously rode for two days through a thunderstorm to get to Philadelphia and sign the DOI. John Hancock was technically a Major General in the Massachusetts militia but he never did much of anything with it.


87 posted on 08/14/2017 6:19:49 PM PDT by morphing libertarian
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Raise it to 21 and serve Beer at the Polling Places.


88 posted on 08/14/2017 6:21:12 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative ( THEY LIVE, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
They also tend to vote illegally in their college location rather than their home district. This is a big problem in small towns that have colleges
89 posted on 08/14/2017 6:47:31 PM PDT by Figment
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
There's a certain age that you have to be to vote? Jeez, I thought Washington DC was a nursery school...😀

Raise the voting age and make sure the voters have an IQ of 175...and know economics and history...

90 posted on 08/15/2017 9:02:12 AM PDT by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is DEPLORABLE :-))
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To: Jim Robinson
They should not be able to vote until they start earning a living and paying taxes.

I'm all for raising the voting age to 'pays taxes'. You can only vote in an election where you can show proof that your net tax return from the previous year shows you paid taxes into the system.
91 posted on 08/15/2017 12:48:56 PM PDT by Svartalfiar
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To: Wuli

And the tens of millions who voted for hillary and bernie sanders do?


92 posted on 08/15/2017 12:52:40 PM PDT by VietVet876
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