Tulsa World: Should Minors Be Allowed to Vote?

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Should Minors Be Allowed to Vote?

By Annie Poss/NIE Blogger
Published: 8/26/2008 11:45 AM
Last Modified: 8/29/2008 9:03 AM

I have to say that if the cut-off age for voting was 12, that it would be totally chaotic. First of all, twelve-year-olds are minors, so technically their parents could manipulate their voting rights.

Secondly, kids being kids, they would vote just to vote. Kids would also vote for someone because they thought they were cute or just a “cool” choice. There would be lots of peer pressure and it would ultimately become a popularity contest.

Finally, voting when you turn 18 just makes becoming independent from your parents that much sweeter.

Even though there would be many conflicts if children could vote, there would be some positive things that could come out of it. If kids could vote, it may help them have a better sense of belonging to the communities they live in. It would make children feel more mature, and possibly, make them begin to act that way, too. If children were given more respect and responsibility it would help them to become better citizens. Kids call the shots as they go, generally speaking, so voting may help them make better decisions in other aspects of life.

Children should also be able to feel untroubled and lighthearted, and voting may compromise those emotions.

One thing that could be either a fantastic factor or a devastating one is the maturity level of kids. Generally, opinions change with age, especially with young people. I can see that many children would struggle with choosing a side and just vote however their best friend or parent would vote.

Also, some children

don’t have the same educational opportunities as others. Depending on what type of school you attend, you may not get the best education and may not be ready to vote by age twelve, while others will be prepared before age 12.

Teachers also voice their political opinions on occasion and some children may be influenced. In addition, most of the topics voted on don’t interest kids, so they may not take the time to learn the facts associated with them. It all varies depending on the environment, parents, and peers.

If twelve-year-olds were able to vote, shouldn’t they pay taxes, too? If children were able to vote they would have to pay taxes, and to pay taxes, they would have to get jobs.

It would never end, and soon twelve-year-olds would just become tiny adults, and they would loose their childhood innocence. I believe that children should keep their uncorrupted purity and stay children; hence, I feel minors shouldn’t be allowed to vote. By Annie Poss/NIE Blogger

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