# FILE NAME: 00002506.soc
# TITLE: Should we lower the voting age from 18 to 16? [832fcb9709f5d3f35fcbad0d7729cce3]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 5
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 5
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - I do not feel we should lower the voting age from 18 to 16, as I am not convinced the majority of people who are 16-17 are fully mature enough to be able to grasp issues that require voting on.  I do not feel I was sufficiently mature at 16/17 to understand and make considered opinions on important matters.  I do feel there should be some way for them to have an input into decision making, but maybe more through a youth forum or something similar, rather than opening up voting in general.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - I do not have a particularly strong opinion on this but without wishing to sound patronising i don't consider 16 year olds to be adults or to have enough experience of life to participate in the voting process.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - I tend to agree with the lowering of the voting age. In the past few years we have seen an number of future issues for which a majority of older people's opinion is taken as the de facto opinion for the population. Some of the solutions that have been taken are unlikely to affect the older population and we will see those people in the 16-18 eventually be affected much more by the decisions taken today.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - I think for some issues we need to accept that younger people will be affected more, and for longer., and their opinions should be considered. For example, the referendum on Brexit. Young people were predominantly in favour of remaining in the EU, and will have to live with the consequences of older voters wanting to leave, maybe for the rest of their lives. I understand that 16 is an age where maturity and responsibility varies hugely from individual to individual, but I think most 16 year olds who feel strongly, would vote, and others probably wouldn't anyway.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 5: Statement 5 - 16 year olds don't know understand the world at that age. They are wrapped up in their own worlds so to allow them to vote would be misguided as it would be a poor reflection. They will also likely cave to peer pressure and/or just vote what their parents vote. It would make no sense and then we would end up with a dysfunctional government in place worse than we already have. Which is already bad. 
1: 5,1,3,4,2
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