Cali senate passes bill to lower voting age to 14

The1calledTKE · #1 05-08-2004, 07:09 PM

A bill designed to get youth more involved in the elections process passed the state Senate Committee on Elections and Reappointment on Wednesday.

SB 1606 by Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-San Jose, would lower the state's legal voting age to 14. The catch is that it would take four 14 or 15 year olds to make up a whole vote.
The proposed constitutional amendment would give 14- and 15-year-olds 1/4 of a full vote, while 16- and 17-year-olds would get 1/2 a full vote.

Vasconcellos dubbed his bill 'Training Wheels for Citizenship,' and says it is designed to encourage early and regular voter participation among young Californians by affording them a real live stake in the political process.

'It is so sad that so many of our young people today are deserting our voting ranks in ever larger numbers,' Vasconcellos said.

For full article see..

http://www.vacavillenews.com/article...=182670&cp=116

I think it's pointless but if the whole process makes them more likely to vote for adults my opinion might change.

Taualumna · #2 05-08-2004, 07:36 PM

14?? I can see 16, but not 14. Ontario recently did "mock votes" for high school kids aged 16 and 17 around the time of the provincial election back in October 2003. Besides, half and quarter votes don't seem too fair.

James · #3 05-08-2004, 08:12 PM

Not to be cynical, but it makes you wonder if the bill is designed to actually increase the amount of votes among certain populations.

You know that hard core party members will make sure that every 14-17 year old in their precincts get out there and vote . .. and make sure who they are voting for.

DeltAlum · #4 05-08-2004, 11:30 PM

This idea is one of the dumbest things I've every heard.

WCUgirl · #5 05-08-2004, 11:45 PM

I agree w/ James. 14- and 15- year-olds are too impressionable to have a vote, whether it's only half a vote or a quarter of a vote of what - if it's going to count. The candidates' lackies will be out there campaigning to these kids with campaign slogans pasted all over the latest trendy toy or whatever to try to sway these children to vote for them. It's too risky if you ask me.

honeychile · #6 05-08-2004, 11:50 PM

I'm fairly certain that I read somewhere recently that, 30 years after the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18, the number of registered voters between 18 and 21 is still abyssmal compared to the population as a whole. If that's true (and I did say "if"), why bother?

Kevin · #7 05-09-2004, 12:50 AM

Many 14-17 year olds are more qualified and better educated about candidates than full grown adults.

I say let it happen.

TriDeltaGal · #8 05-09-2004, 01:16 AM

Okay, so I didn't open the link because it digusts me that this is my home state but the way that I had heard it is that this must go to the voters now to see if it becomes law. I truly hope that California doesn't let this pass but then again look who we elected as governor

.

Sorry, if it says that info in the article but I honestly couldn't make myself open that link...

DeltAlum · #9 05-09-2004, 01:18 AM

As parents, a lot of our friends and we used to compare notes. There were three ages that we all pretty much agreed were the worst:

The Terrible (or terrific depending on your pain threshold) Twos.

Four.

Fourteen. That's when your beautiful little daughters turn into raging bitches and your sons turn into idiots.

Sorry, voting at that age is a real bad idea.

CatStarESP4 · #10 05-09-2004, 01:26 AM

Lowering the voting age from 18 to 14 is a mistake waiting to happen

. Leave it at 18! However, if they want to lower the voting age, I think 16 or 17 would be slightly more appropiate.

phigamucsb · #11 05-09-2004, 07:30 AM

Dumb idea.

Kevin · #12 05-09-2004, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
As parents, a lot of our friends and we used to compare notes. There were three ages that we all pretty much agreed were the worst:

The Terrible (or terrific depending on your pain threshold) Twos.

Four.

Fourteen. That's when your beautiful little daughters turn into raging bitches and your sons turn into idiots.

Sorry, voting at that age is a real bad idea.

I'll bet they could have figured out which holes to punch in Florida.

Most kids this age (who would show up to the polls in the first place) are more capable than many of these 'seasoned' voters that I've spoken with.

Take my grandmother. If she doesn't know either of the candidates, she votes for the woman. If they're both men, she votes for the one with the best sounding name. Here in Oklahoma, we have many elected positions. Most of the population doesn't know what the Court Clerk does or the Corporation Commissioners (which are probably the most powerful folks in the state). Our Court Clerk's name is Patricia Pressley -- she has a picture of a guitar (to conjure up images of Elvis) on her campaign signs.

I'd trust a random 14 year old to vote before I trusted my 80 year old grandmother to make an informed decision.

sigtau305 · #13 05-09-2004, 03:00 PM

18 is a fair age to vote. making it lower is not a good Idea.

DeltAlum · #14 05-09-2004, 05:01 PM

I was 18 when Vote 18 passed and have voted in every election since.

In those days the argument was that a young man was old enough to be drafted and fight and die for the country, but not old enough to vote.

I believe that was a compelling argument.

At age 18, you become legally responsible for a number of things and I think that's the correct age to be allowed to vote.

I would be open to listening to an argument that if you're allowed to drive at 16...

But, then again, some states want to raise the driving age because they don't think 16 year olds have enough responsibility. Some accident statistics would seem to support that.

DeltaBetaBaby · #15 05-09-2004, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
I'll bet they could have figured out which holes to punch in Florida.

Most kids this age (who would show up to the polls in the first place) are more capable than many of these 'seasoned' voters that I've spoken with.

Take my grandmother. If she doesn't know either of the candidates, she votes for the woman. If they're both men, she votes for the one with the best sounding name. Here in Oklahoma, we have many elected positions. Most of the population doesn't know what the Court Clerk does or the Corporation Commissioners (which are probably the most powerful folks in the state). Our Court Clerk's name is Patricia Pressley -- she has a picture of a guitar (to conjure up images of Elvis) on her campaign signs.

I'd trust a random 14 year old to vote before I trusted my 80 year old grandmother to make an informed decision.

Haha, my grandma used to pick out the Jewish names.