Analyzing the Negative Impacts of Lowering the Voting Age
Analyzing the Negative Impacts of Lowering the Voting Age
Justin Smith-Lorenzetti (6263537)
Politics 110, Section B
TA: Peter Rak, Section X
Professor Rose
Submitted November 8, 2010
Word Count: 1454
The debate between quantity and quality is an ever-present one in modern society, whether it be with number or quality of friends one person might have, the quantity or the quality of artwork that someone may own, or, most appropriately, the quality versus the quantity of votes taken at polls during a given election. It is obvious that if the voting age were reduced, there would be an overall, although miniscule because of the cohort effect, increase in the number of votes inside a nation. However, it is important to realize that this is not necessarily favorable. The aggregate quality of the votes cast would be diminished because of the unsubstantiated votes of the newly eligible young. The effects of lowering the voting age on the rest of the election process must also be taken into account. How will it influence the candidates? How would it influence the experienced voters? Sending children to the polls would change the election process drastically, in a negative way. Therefore, under no circumstances should the voting age be reduced at the risk that it would lead to arbitrary votes that would skew the results, while negatively influencing the election process.
It is clear that the interests of Canadians today are unlike those of a century ago. Picking a country’s leader and having a say in the direction of your nation used to be a sought after, and highly practiced, privilege. The women’s suffrage movement of the early 20th century, where women fought for the right to vote in Canada (Hill, 1948), is an example of this. It is remarkable how men and women have evolved into lesser political animals to the extent where voting is not a priority to many. Overall voter turnout in Canadian federal elections have dropped significantly in the past twenty years,
Justin Smith-Lorenzetti (6263537)
Politics 110, Section B
TA: Peter Rak, Section X
Professor Rose
Submitted November 8, 2010
Word Count: 1454
The debate between quantity and quality is an ever-present one in modern society, whether it be with number or quality of friends one person might have, the quantity or the quality of artwork that someone may own, or, most appropriately, the quality versus the quantity of votes taken at polls during a given election. It is obvious that if the voting age were reduced, there would be an overall, although miniscule because of the cohort effect, increase in the number of votes inside a nation. However, it is important to realize that this is not necessarily favorable. The aggregate quality of the votes cast would be diminished because of the unsubstantiated votes of the newly eligible young. The effects of lowering the voting age on the rest of the election process must also be taken into account. How will it influence the candidates? How would it influence the experienced voters? Sending children to the polls would change the election process drastically, in a negative way. Therefore, under no circumstances should the voting age be reduced at the risk that it would lead to arbitrary votes that would skew the results, while negatively influencing the election process.
It is clear that the interests of Canadians today are unlike those of a century ago. Picking a country’s leader and having a say in the direction of your nation used to be a sought after, and highly practiced, privilege. The women’s suffrage movement of the early 20th century, where women fought for the right to vote in Canada (Hill, 1948), is an example of this. It is remarkable how men and women have evolved into lesser political animals to the extent where voting is not a priority to many. Overall voter turnout in Canadian federal elections have dropped significantly in the past twenty years,
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