Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
No. But there's no reason it has to be the same age for every kind of election.
I'd like to see it raised to an older age, 25.
There is an age set for when you are allowed to get your license to drive, marriage license, gun license, boat license. Perhaps, there should be a license to vote, where you need to study the current political environment of your country, know the history of the country you reside in, and pass a test. If we value the input of our citizens, why isn't voting held up to a higher standard? This is were bills and legislations are passed that affect lives in dramatic ways. Maybe it should be a privilege earned than granted due to a coming of a certain (young) age.
I wish that all voters, had to pass the same test, on American history and civics, that immigrants have to pass, in order to get citizenship. That way, the native born voters would at least be as informed as immigrants are, in order to be able to vote. But of course, it would never happen, with the way pols of both parties, pander to the white folks here.
@Scott321 Because they might not be mature enough? Some of them are, some aren't. I was, at that age, I think, but many adults, in my experience, don't seem any more mentally or emotionally mature than some 16 yo. It's the same with parenthood. We allow anyone to breed, even tho it is clear, that many people never grow up enough to become competent parents. Where do you draw the line? I wish that people needed a license and had to pass some competency test, before they could breed, but it will never happen either..
Actually, that was the premise of a cult movie back in the 60s, called Wild In The Streets, in which a rock star, being used by an older veteran pol, got elected president of the US, after the voting age was lowered to 15, and the youth took over the country. Needless to say, it did not end well for everyone over thirty, as the slogan of the new youth government, was to not trust anyone over thirty..