Well I think YES, definitely. Much of the problem of learning how our voting system works in school is that the information isn't really relevant until someone is 18. How exciting can things become when you learn about a voting system you can actually engage with?

Also, I think the fact that you can be a tax payer at 16 but not vote to elect the government who set those taxes is undemocratic!

Anyway, thought I would pose the question and see what you all think. Do you even care? If there was a general election tomorrow, who would you vote for?

I would say yes. I missed out on the general election by 1 day, because my 18th birthday was the day after >.>
Teenagers/young adults are simply not interested in it much because it isn't really taught at schools, which is a shame really, since these people are actually running our country.
The point you brought up about tax was quite interesting, never thought of that before. :o

I would probably vote back labour. If I believe correctly, George Osbourne failed in his task to help get us out of recession. I'm not really sure on that statement though, I kind of half listened to the news when the information was broadcast, so I could be wrong in saying that.
I believe the conservatives also made more job cuts in areas which they said they wouldn't be cutting, such as NHS, which they actually slated Labour for when the general election was near.
I would probably not vote lib dems, since they seem to be power hungry, and sort of "betrayed" future voters for going against the uni fees policy, and not backing it up when there was a coalition vote. I know this doesn't affect me, but it really annoys me, when I'm guessing the majority of lib dem votes would have been students, and future students, could they have voted at 16. I think they may have lost a huge number of future voters by doing this, but I don't really know enough about politics to have a full understanding of what's been going on.

ill will put is short, most 16 year olds young adults *kids really* dont really care about the vote as such.

If they were given it only a small proportion would actually use it. im pretty use the percentage of people ages under 21 that dont vote is pretty high (i would assume not that i know exactly).

Also most young people dont really care a great deal about politics and what not, thats just the way they are. If you had a survey take place and all the 16 year olds in uk had to go to, idk say the town centre, to fill out the survey on if they would even like to vote or not i would say 75% wouldn't even turn up to that.

The average 16 year old couldn't give less of a .... thats just the truth. Only people that would use it are the kids that read up on politics and care about politics and thats probably a very small percentage of 16 year olds.

If 16 year olds can pay taxes then they can also be given the right to vote is the way I see it.

I personally would like to have a say in who runs the country - heck, I pretty much hate the Conservatives right now and would much rather have Labour back in power. However, I'll always have a soft spot for the Green Party.

I would also like to be more "in the know" about politics, particularly in the UK as I'm quite clueless but I'm going to assume other 16 year olds (I'm 16 in 6 days so close enough) also don't know all that much.

ill will put is short, most 16 year olds young adults *kids really* dont really care about the vote as such.

If they were given it only a small proportion would actually use it. im pretty use the percentage of people ages under 21 that dont vote is pretty high (i would assume not that i know exactly).

Also most young people dont really care a great deal about politics and what not, thats just the way they are. If you had a survey take place and all the 16 year olds in uk had to go to, idk say the town centre, to fill out the survey on if they would even like to vote or not i would say 75% wouldn't even turn up to that.

The average 16 year old couldn't give less of a .... thats just the truth. Only people that would use it are the kids that read up on politics and care about politics and thats probably a very small percentage of 16 year olds.

Just playing devil's advocate but don't you think that the ones who do want to vote should be allowed to? Will this encourage more people to vote as an adult?

Why do people talk about the x factor voting more than our elected government? Could that begin to reverse if you try to engage young adults at the time in your life when you are figuring out who you are, what you believe and what you want from life?

You can live with your husband/wife, work full time, pay your taxes at 16 but not vote.


Right or wrong?

You can live with your husband/wife, work full time, pay your taxes at 16 but not vote.


Right or wrong?

yeah but how many 16 year old do any of that, just about how many will actually use the vote.

I'm guessing that now with the price hike of uni fees, a lot more 16 year olds will be going into full time work and paying taxes.

Quote from: yappersword on September 11, 2012, 23:11:41

You can live with your husband/wife, work full time, pay your taxes at 16 but not vote.


Right or wrong?

yeah but how many 16 year old do any of that, just about how many will actually use the vote.

plenty do at least one of those, plenty teenage pregnancies out there as well, forgot to mention legal child bearing

I get what you are saying Imy but does it matter how many would use the vote? you should be able to. People who start voting at 18 don't stop and every time they vote they are more likely to research party policy and voting records. Surely if you open it up to 16 year olds then you are already increasing the percentage of the population choosing to vote.

I also think that a 16 year old is likely to make a well informed decision I also think they are very likely to vote because teenagers want respect from adults and what better way to give it than show we trust them to make an informed decision. They also have parental guidance, not necessarily in who to vote for but how the system works. Most 18 year olds have left home and then have to figure it out for themselves which would make them less likely to start voting in the first place.

The main problem we have in politics is our low voting turnout. Why? people don't know the change they can create. Why? because when they learned about voting in school it didn't mean anything to them so now they don't connect it to what they are being asked to do.

sorry all of that is a little jumbled. Knackered and cant be arsed sorting it in to something more legible.

I'm guessing that now with the price hike of uni fees, a lot more 16 year olds will be going into full time work and paying taxes.

A good point Cam. Also, going back to your earlier point, one of the reasons they were able to raise tuition fees was that many of the people this would affect were not allowed to vote because of their age (that and a very broken promise from the lib dems but that's another story).

If 16 year olds can pay taxes then they can also be given the right to vote is the way I see it.

I personally would like to have a say in who runs the country - heck, I pretty much hate the Conservatives right now and would much rather have Labour back in power. However, I'll always have a soft spot for the Green Party.

I would also like to be more "in the know" about politics, particularly in the UK as I'm quite clueless but I'm going to assume other 16 year olds (I'm 16 in 6 days so close enough) also don't know all that much.

I like the 'I don't know much about this but I want to and I think I should have a say' thing. If you were allowed to vote do you think you would do some research or just go with the crowd Abbie?

Quote from: Winter on September 11, 2012, 23:00:33

If 16 year olds can pay taxes then they can also be given the right to vote is the way I see it.

I personally would like to have a say in who runs the country - heck, I pretty much hate the Conservatives right now and would much rather have Labour back in power. However, I'll always have a soft spot for the Green Party.

I would also like to be more "in the know" about politics, particularly in the UK as I'm quite clueless but I'm going to assume other 16 year olds (I'm 16 in 6 days so close enough) also don't know all that much.

I like the 'I don't know much about this but I want to and I think I should have a say' thing. If you were allowed to vote do you think you would do some research or just go with the crowd Abbie?

Well obviously I'm not going to vote for somebody without knowing who the hell they are, what they want to do and how they will achieve it. I think if I was given the right to vote I'd want to research more into each party. I mean, every election I know people who support Lib Dems, Conservatives and Labour so my vote being influenced wouldn't really be a problem but even so - I want to know that my vote is going to the right party/person and sometimes following the crowd without any knowledge is a foolish option.

Quote from: yappersword on September 11, 2012, 23:36:20

Quote from: Winter on September 11, 2012, 23:00:33

If 16 year olds can pay taxes then they can also be given the right to vote is the way I see it.

I personally would like to have a say in who runs the country - heck, I pretty much hate the Conservatives right now and would much rather have Labour back in power. However, I'll always have a soft spot for the Green Party.

I would also like to be more "in the know" about politics, particularly in the UK as I'm quite clueless but I'm going to assume other 16 year olds (I'm 16 in 6 days so close enough) also don't know all that much.

I like the 'I don't know much about this but I want to and I think I should have a say' thing. If you were allowed to vote do you think you would do some research or just go with the crowd Abbie?

Well obviously I'm not going to vote for somebody without knowing who the hell they are, what they want to do and how they will achieve it. I think if I was given the right to vote I'd want to research more into each party. I mean, every election I know people who support Lib Dems, Conservatives and Labour so my vote being influenced wouldn't really be a problem but even so - I want to know that my vote is going to the right party/person and sometimes following the crowd without any knowledge is a foolish option.

A wise answer to a serious question. 

in my opinion i think that 18 is a reasonable age, most people under 18 are immature, foolish and just dont give a shit really.  When my school had an election for class president there were 2 candidates, not so hard of a choice, but being foolish and immature most of the students just wrote in a third candidate and voted for him as a joke, it is a serious matter and i believe that most 16 yrs are not mature enough to vote

in my opinion i think that 18 is a reasonable age, most people under 18 are immature, foolish and just dont give a shit really.  When my school had an election for class president there were 2 candidates, not so hard of a choice, but being foolish and immature most of the students just wrote in a third candidate and voted for him as a joke, it is a serious matter and i believe that most 16 yrs are not mature enough to vote

i remember doing this in my school.