#votingage

@thecanadareport.bsky.social

4 months ago

Vancouver City Hall Rejects Proposal to Lower Municipal Voting Age to 16 Vancouver rejects proposal to lower voting age to 16, sparking debate on youth political engagement.

Vancouver City Hall Rejects Proposal to Lower Municipal Voting Age to 16

Read more: 👇
www.thecanadareport.ca/featured/vancouver-votin...

#vancouver #votingage #youthengagement #municipalelections #politicaldebate #canada #civicparticipation

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All Namibian News

@namibiannews.bsky.social

6 months ago

Voting at sixteen risks exploiting the youth Hidipo Hamata Over the past weeks, Namibians have witnessed the tabling of a motion in the National Assembly proposing that the voting age in Namibia be reduced from eighteen to sixteen years. On the surface, the idea may appear to be progressive, perhaps even inclusive, as it purports to recognise the voices of our younger generation. However, a deeper interrogation of this matter reveals far more complex constitutional, developmental, social, and political implications which we must not overlook for the sake of political expedience. The Namibian Constitution, as our supreme law, is the foundation upon which we build our democracy. It enshrines fundamental rights and freedoms, and it outlines clear thresholds of responsibility and accountability. Among these is the determination of who qualifies to be an elector in Namibia. The framers of our Constitution did not randomly decide on the age of eighteen. They placed it deliberately as a balance between the acquisition of basic education, civic maturity, and the capacity to understand the gravity of shaping governance through the ballot box. We must remember that children’s rights are protected under both domestic and international law. Instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Namibia is a signatory, emphasise the importance of protecting children from exploitation, manipulation, and harm. By definition, individuals below the age of eighteen are classified as children. Extending voting rights to children of sixteen contradicts not only the spirit of our Constitution but also the international obligations we have solemnly undertaken. It effectively lowers the age of political vulnerability and opens the door to undue influence. It is important to ask ourselves: what is the end goal of this proposal? If it is about broadening democracy, why do we not instead focus on encouraging higher participation rates among adults who are already eligible to vote? Statistics from past elections consistently show that adult voter turnout has been declining. Would it not be wiser for political parties and government to direct their energies towards restoring faith in governance, improving service delivery, and addressing corruption, unemployment, and poverty—issues that disillusion many adult voters? If we cannot convince adults to participate in elections, what logic is there in recruiting children into the same disillusioned system? This proposal also poses a dangerous precedent. If a sixteen-year-old is considered mature enough to cast a ballot in national elections, are we then to assume that they are equally mature to stand as candidates in local authority councils, in regional councils, or even in the National Assembly? Would a sixteen-year-old qualify to become a vice president or President of Namibia? If the answer is no, then we are already faced with an inconsistency. Democracy must be coherent and principled; it cannot apply selectively when it suits political convenience. We must also appreciate the difference between voting in student representative council (SRC) elections and voting in national elections. SRC elections are largely symbolic, often revolving around school-related concerns, and carry limited real-world consequences. National elections, by contrast, are about determining the leadership that will manage national resources, decide on defence and foreign policy, negotiate trade agreements, and make laws that govern every aspect of our lives. To conflate the two is to trivialise the gravity of national governance. Critics may argue that at sixteen, young people are already working, paying taxes indirectly, or should have a say in decisions that affect them. While it is true that young people face many challenges that deserve attention, the remedy is not to lower the voting age. The real solution lies in strengthening youth empowerment policies, improving the quality of education, creating safe spaces for youth voices to be heard, and ensuring that elected leaders act on issues affecting the youth. Giving a ballot paper to a sixteen-year-old does not guarantee that these structural problems will be solved; it only transfers the burden of responsibility onto children who are not yet equipped to carry it. Moreover, adolescence is a critical stage of cognitive and emotional development. At sixteen, most young people are still grappling with questions of identity, peer influence, and academic pressure. Scientific studies in developmental psychology confirm that the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex responsible for long-term planning and decision-making, continues to mature well into the early twenties. To impose on sixteen-year-olds the weight of national political decision-making is not only unfair but also potentially exploitative. We cannot overlook the political motives behind such proposals. Extending voting rights to sixteen-year-olds may not necessarily be about inclusivity but rather about enlarging the voting pool for short-term electoral gain. Political parties must resist the temptation to use children as pawns in their struggle for power. If they truly want to earn the trust of electorates, they must focus on policies that uplift families, reduce unemployment, and create a fair economy. Trust cannot be manufactured by expanding the voter roll with children; it must be earned through genuine service and leadership. Namibia is a young democracy, but it must remain a responsible democracy. To preserve its credibility, we must uphold both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution. The age of majority is not merely a number; it is a social contract that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood, from dependence to responsibility. Diluting this contract by lowering the voting age undermines not only the sanctity of our democracy but also the protection we owe to our children. In conclusion, while it is commendable that our leaders seek to innovate in strengthening democracy, lowering the voting age to sixteen is neither the solution nor the correct path. We must respect our children and not use them as tools for political gain. Rather, let us leave them with the space to complete their education, to mature, and to prepare for the future. When they eventually turn eighteen, they will enter the democratic process with greater awareness, independence, and readiness. The real task before us is to ensure that our democracy remains credible and functional so that when the young people come of age, they inherit a system worth participating in. If we prematurely burden them, we risk condemning them to endless regression instead of empowerment. *Hidipo Hamata is a former member of the seventh National Assembly. The words in this piece are his own and not related to any particular political party or organisation.

#YouthVoting #VotingAge #Namibia #PoliticalDebate #YouthEmpowerment

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Leeds for Europe

@leedseurope.bsky.social

7 months ago

This letter appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post on 28 July 2025. Jas Olak, Vice Chair of Leeds for Europe, argues changes the Labour Government is making to the voting age will increase pressure for a new referendum on membership of the European Union.

Vice Chair @jazz072.bsky.social tells @yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk many older voters backed Remain & now campaign to #RejoinEU. But no-one born this century voted #Brexit. #Labour lowering #VotingAge will increase that number. Let today’s voters have #EU membership say? #UKPolitics #GenZ #YouthVote

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💪🏼🫎🛶🦫🌲💨🪨🌊

@grannycanuck.bsky.social

7 months ago

AGE of VOTING #🇨🇦 I
OTHER countries do not suffer the OUTRAGEOUS TOTAL Actual News BAN* IMPOSED by #META et al.
Fix THAT & we’ll talk!
* while accepting Zillion$ from Third-Party #CPC ‘allies’🔚 #SocialMedia! #poiLIEvre #MGTOW! #AgeOfVoting 🇬🇧 #VotingAge #Canada #cdnPoli #polCan

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Fles

@fles70.bsky.social

7 months ago

Lowering the #VotingAge has become a contentious issue, but it shouldn't be - my letter in tomorrow's Metro:

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Political Cartoon Gallery

@politicalcartoon.bsky.social

7 months ago

Mac @DailyMail on the #VotingAge in the UK being lowered to 16 #KeirStarmer - political cartoon gallery in London original-political-cartoon.c

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DebT

@writergeek.bsky.social

7 months ago

My daughter said "now Andrew Tate's boyfriends gonna vote Reform". So I think their hysteria is ridiculous. Working-class GenZ men are drifting to Reform by way of the manophere and fitness gurus.

#votingage

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Political Cartoon Gallery

@politicalcartoon.bsky.social

7 months ago

Matt @MattCartoonist @Telegraph on the #VotingAge in the UK being lowered to 16 #ReformUK - political cartoon gallery in London original-political-cartoon.com

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Fr Edward Barlow

@edwardrhbarlow.bsky.social

7 months ago

a man in a suit and bow tie is talking about what they teach you in school these days ALT: a man in a suit and bow tie is talking about what they teach you in school these days

Having spent 8 years teaching in secondary schools I know there are many 16 & 17 year olds who are capable of entering the polling booth with well-informed intelligent and astute political opinions...

...Having spent 5 minutes on Nextdoor I know there are many grown adults who aren't...
#VotingAge

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Darren Fower

@darrenfower.bsky.social

7 months ago

🚨 PM Starmer fast-tracks voting age to 16 for UK elections, adding 1.5M young voters to counter Reform UK's rise❗️ 🗳️
#UKPolitics #VotingAge #ElectionReform

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Welsh Country

@welshcountry.bsky.social

7 months ago

UK Labour is Failing To Learn Lessons By Lowering the Voting Age | Welsh Food Bites The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the UK Labour Government for failing to learn the lessons from the Welsh Labour Government.

#votingage #votingage16 #welshlabour #welshgovernment #welshconservatives #ukgovernment

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Carol Dyck

@caroldyck.bsky.social

7 months ago

Voting age to be lowered to 16 by next general election Other planned changes include expanding voter ID to include bank cards and moving to automatic registration.

Bravo, UK! 👏 👏👏 Your turn, Canada! #VotingAge #cdnpoli #onpoli #democracy bbc.com/news/article...

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Suzysue

@suzannahjane.bsky.social

7 months ago

My only concern is coercion and targeting via social media, but that happens to all age groups anyway. Younger people are hopefully more discerning about the fear mongering ads and disingenuous claims made by some political parties.

#votingage

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Tim the Guitarist

@tim-guitar.bsky.social

7 months ago

Let's see if the media (news & social) push hard on the 'they're all the same' attitude in order to create apathy among this new portion of the electorate.

Because apathy = less voters.
And less voters = a right wing government.

#votingage #UK #politics

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Dave A

@davea79.bsky.social

7 months ago

Don't threaten me with a good time #VotingAge #VotesAt16

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The Headliner

@theheadliner.bsky.social

7 months ago

🚨#BREAKING | UK government has announced plans to lower the voting age to 16 before the next General Election, a move that could reshape the country’s democratic system. The proposal comes after the 2024 elections saw the lowest turnout since 2001.

#UK #VotingAge #Elections

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News Mason

@newsmason.bsky.social

7 months ago

Attention Required! | Cloudflare This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

#trends today for 'world cup' 'voting age' & 'coca cola'

Click/Tap below:

www.newsmason.com?query=%22wor...

www.newsmason.com?query=%22vot...

www.newsmason.com?query=%22coc...

#worldcup #votingage #cocacola

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Andy Gibson (@AndyGibsonTV) / InformingBritain.com

@informingbritain.com

7 months ago

"VOTES AT 16 AS STARMER PANICS OVER REFORM"
#BenRileySmith / #JackMaidment / #AmyGibbsons for @telegraphnews.bsky.social

#KeirStarmer accelerates plans to lower #VotingAge in #GeneralElection.

Full Story: t.ly/IB9qF

#DailyTelegraph
#TomorrowsPapersToday
#IBPAPERS

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Political Cartoon Gallery

@politicalcartoon.bsky.social

7 months ago

Morten Morland @mortenmorland.bsky.social @thetimes on the #VotingAge in the UK being lowered to 16 #KeirStarmer - political cartoon gallery in London original-political-cartoon.com

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Political Cartoon Gallery

@politicalcartoon.bsky.social

7 months ago

Matt @MattCartoonist @Telegraph on the #VotingAge in the UK being lowered to 16- political cartoon gallery in London original-political-cartoon.com

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Darren Fower

@darrenfower.bsky.social

7 months ago

🇬🇧 UK to let 16-year-olds vote in all elections!
🗳️ Radical reform or risky move?
👨‍🎤 1.8M teens could sway future polls!?
#UKPolitics #VotingAge #Democracy

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Jamie Bellinger

@jamiebellinger.com

7 months ago

A Labour government lowering the #votingage to sixteen and returning a *lower* vote share than before will be both funny and tragic but mostly funny.

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If my grandma had wheels she'd be a bike..

@calvinandhobbes69.bsky.social

7 months ago

#votingage of course #ReformUK and #ToryScum don't like the idea of younger people voting, their base is a bunch of racist old gammons. And indeed, if I pay #tax and #nationalinsurance I should have a vote, well done @teamlabouruk.bsky.social #Labour you've upset all the right people, again!

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Glenn Vowles

@enviroman.bsky.social

7 months ago

16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election as voting age to be lowered in UK - live updates Lowering the voting age across the UK means around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election.

'The voting age will be lowered to 16 for all elections across the UK in time for the next general election, the govt has confirmed'

Great for democracy. Been in favour of lowering the #votingage to 16 all my adult life (and that's now over four decades).

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

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