Lethbridge want to lower voting age (to 16) for municipal voting.

[undercoverbrother]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...o-16-1.3089557

Lethbridge city council wants to lower the municipal voting age to 16 in hopes of improving long-term voter turnout.

Councillors approved the resolution this week and the issue will go the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association for approval. Alberta would then have to change the act governing municipal elections.

Jeff Coffman, the Lethbridge city councillor behind the idea to lower the voting age, said capturing the attention of youth might improve the participation rate in elections.

The hook is definitely to get them interested early, to get them participating earlier. There's lots of academic research at the federal level that if you can get someone to vote the first time they get out of the gate… it creates what we call a sticky habit and it gives them the propensity for them to vote throughout their life."

I am not sure I think 16 yr olds make the best decisions.

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...o-16-1.3089557




I am not sure I think 16 yr olds make the best decisions.

I'm not sure if anyone that's 65+ does either.

[Derek Sutton]

I can't believe that this (my) city council has nothing better to do that this. The odds of any 16 yr being able to vote before they are 18 is only 50/50 anyways, they are trying to make a name for themsleves and will end up looking like fools, Coffman especially.

[CaptainYooh]

If they are eligible to vote they should be eligible to get elected. Makes total sense then. We have a 20-yr old in Parliament. Why not 16-yr olds? Would make it quite a bit more entertaining. Parental consent would be required, I presume. Who signs the absentee excuse note to the school principal?

[codynw]

Based on my sister, I'm going to assume that this generation is too dumb to be allowed to vote at 16.

[PsYcNeT]

Based on racist grandparents, I'd have to say the Boomer generation is too dumb to be allowed to vote.

[Daradon]

I've always been in favor of lowering the voting age. It's the teens future more than anyone, they should have a say.

The crux is, the youngins don't vote. Dunno why, it was always appealing to me. But most kids hate it.

As for making bad decisions, there are plently of people who vote for the dumbest reasons imaginable. It's common for people to vote without knowledge of platforms. There is little real discourse, only finger waving and slogans. And I'd wager two thirds of voters vote based on that.

A 16 year old could do no worse. And really, it's not like it's going change the candidates anyway. There's no such thing as a bad choice, as all the candidates already get votes ftom some people anyway.

In a perfect world it may help to subtlely change and round out party platforms to include younger voters. Which I don't believe to be a bad thing. But as I stated at the top, young voters barely show up so I doubt it would make any differencr on either side of the ballot box.

I am in favor of it though. Young voters, prove me wrong!

[DoubleF]

Would they really affect anything? Most of us did the "mock vote" in social studies class in High School anyways. Why not just allow youngsters to do it for real? I can't imagine 16-17 population completely screwing up how the vote goes. They don't outnumber us 66:1 or something. If anything, I could imagine it slightly increases voter turnout because it will end up bringing the parents along who possibly wouldn't vote otherwise (the ones who have to give kids a ride).

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...o-16-1.3089557




I am not sure I think 16 yr olds make the best decisions.

It's a vote, you can't screw it up. Plus no candidate is going to pander to irresponsible teen choices anyway.

Get them involved! Maybe it'll cure some voter apathy and make for politically involved adults.

[Reaper]

If you want full voter turnout find a way for people to vote on their smart phones. The election would be over by the end of lunch time on election day.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Reaper

If you want full voter turnout find a way for people to vote on their smart phones. The election would be over by the end of lunch time on election day.

Without a way for a complete identification of one vote by one voter, this is never going to happen.

It would be too easy to spoof a system, or hackers would find a way in.

Not being willing to go a few blocks to vote in person is a pretty flimsy reason not to vote.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Without a way for a complete identification of one vote by one voter, this is never going to happen.

It would be too easy to spoof a system, or hackers would find a way in.

Not being willing to go a few blocks to vote in person is a pretty flimsy reason not to vote.

I was somewhat joking and I agree that at this time we don't have the technology to independently verify a voter login.

When I went to vote for the provincial election I thought about how much it would suck to have to vote in my area if you didn't own a car. Spruce Meadows is a fair hike away from a transit route. That kind of thing has to change in order to improve voting access.