Under the "baby ballots" proposal, children would get voting rights from birth - with their parents choosing how to use their offspring's vote. When a child reaches 14, he or she would then cast votes for themselves.
(In the US, it is rumoured that the Bush administration is working on a similar plan, only votes will be given to fetuses from conception and automatically allocated to "pro-life" candidates. The Hagel Voting Machine Co. is believed to be involved at a high level.)
My mother, undoubtedly swayed by something she read, once bought a Greenpeace membership in my name. I was rather pissed off about that.
On the other hand... given the things that are supposedly done 'for the children', lowering the voting age could serve to puncture a few illusions.
Given that we simply don't receive any instruction in how to contribute to democratic society (most people think that voting is as far as it goes), I don't see how a 14-year-old could possibly make a worse choice than an 18-year-old, given the rather mediocre options currently available.
Of course, ten years from now when Parliament consists entirely of boy bands, I may have to eat my words.
Spike Milligan said he wouldn't have brought children into this world if he knew then what he knew now. People like that should get extra votes.
Yes, it's a pity Spike's dead. Now that's an idea worth considering... letting the dead will their vote to someone... hmm
"My God! The dead have risen and they're voting Republican!" -- Bart Simpson, "Sideshow Bob Roberts"
The other day I got a pinkboy very upset with me at the 2600 meet over voting. He was getting all agitated over voting being compulsory, but I insisted 'no it isn't'. Then he started spluttering and claiming that if I didn't vote I would be fined. 'No, they don't know where I live' (let alone whether I exist). Then he started some paranoid BS about how the electoral roles would be cross-matched with tax returns and they would find me. 'No, I don't pay tax'. Then this pseudo-nonconformist got really outraged and brought out the argument that if we didn't all pay tax then everyone would transform into axe-wielding maniacs and we would all be murdered. When I pointed out that people who are likely to be homicidal will do so whether there are police or not he got very upset and started claiming that he wasn't going to discuss it anymore until the following month (it's a monthly meeting) when he had prepared some arguments, because the only alternative he saw was (him) belting (me) up. While he is quite welcome to
That's a monstrous idea. I wouldn't have wanted my parents voting for me, and I doubt anyone else would, either.
As for lowering the voting age to 14... hmmm. I get the feeling that 14-year-olds are even more easy to manipulate than American voters. No, thanks.