Lowering Voting Age to 16, Regardless of Immigration Status - Rockville

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible idea, for more reasons that I can spell out here.

Starting with that you hate young people?

Dumb comment. It has nothing to do with hating young people.

Hey, why not let 10-year-olds vote? I have 10 YO twins that I love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why 16? I think there’s a very compelling argument for allowing anyone age 10 or older to vote. 16 seems so arbitrary. Most 10 year olds are cognizant enough to vote.

My eight-year-old is very mature for her age. We have real conversations about things that matter. I think the voting age should be 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 16? I think there’s a very compelling argument for allowing anyone age 10 or older to vote. 16 seems so arbitrary. Most 10 year olds are cognizant enough to vote.

My eight-year-old is very mature for her age. We have real conversations about things that matter. I think the voting age should be 8.

Every age is arbitrary, y'all. Including 18 and 21.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible idea, for more reasons that I can spell out here.

Starting with that you hate young people?

Not wanting to let 16 year old undocumented immigrants vote does not equal ‘hating young people’.

They live in the community and are affected as much - if not more - by local public policy decisions. Many work and pay taxes. If you have an argument that can be separated from prejudice, lay it on us.

Many undocumented don't pay income taxes as they are paid under the table.

So,does this mean that only people who work should be able to vote?

They aren't allowed to sit on jury duty; drive passed midnight (except for two situations), but they should be able to vote? Maybe they'll vote to allow 16 yr olds to drive past midnight.

I think that voting is more important for civic participation than driving.

Income taxes are not the only taxes, by the way, and it would be great to have some data to support your "many people without legal status don't pay income taxes because they are paid under the table" claim.

Sure, when you provide the stats on how many pay income taxes.

Sale tax is nothing. My 10 yr old pays sales tax when they buy something at the store, with their own money.

Civic participation is important, but the question is whether a 16 yr old is mature enough to vote. We don't let them drive past midnight, they are still considered minors by the law, if a 16 yr old has to pay a fine/fee, the parents are liable.

but you think they are mature enough to vote?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 16? I think there’s a very compelling argument for allowing anyone age 10 or older to vote. 16 seems so arbitrary. Most 10 year olds are cognizant enough to vote.

My eight-year-old is very mature for her age. We have real conversations about things that matter. I think the voting age should be 8.

Every age is arbitrary, y'all. Including 18 and 21.

so why lower to 16, then? Why not 8?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 16? I think there’s a very compelling argument for allowing anyone age 10 or older to vote. 16 seems so arbitrary. Most 10 year olds are cognizant enough to vote.

My eight-year-old is very mature for her age. We have real conversations about things that matter. I think the voting age should be 8.

Every age is arbitrary, y'all. Including 18 and 21.

No, there is a reason that 18 year old can drive and an 8 year old can’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible idea, for more reasons that I can spell out here.

Starting with that you hate young people?

Not wanting to let 16 year old undocumented immigrants vote does not equal ‘hating young people’.

They live in the community and are affected as much - if not more - by local public policy decisions. Many work and pay taxes. If you have an argument that can be separated from prejudice, lay it on us.

Many undocumented don't pay income taxes as they are paid under the table.

So,does this mean that only people who work should be able to vote?

They aren't allowed to sit on jury duty; drive passed midnight (except for two situations), but they should be able to vote? Maybe they'll vote to allow 16 yr olds to drive past midnight.

I think that voting is more important for civic participation than driving.

Income taxes are not the only taxes, by the way, and it would be great to have some data to support your "many people without legal status don't pay income taxes because they are paid under the table" claim.

If you actually lived in Montgomery County and had any real-life experience with undocumented immigrants, you would realize that is true. Many people who are here undocumented get paid in cash. Montgomery County essentially has an entire underground economy that runs on ‘cash only’. We have landlords in my neighborhood that rent to undocumented immigrants and get paid in cash, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible idea, for more reasons that I can spell out here.

Starting with that you hate young people?

Not wanting to let 16 year old undocumented immigrants vote does not equal ‘hating young people’.

They live in the community and are affected as much - if not more - by local public policy decisions. Many work and pay taxes. If you have an argument that can be separated from prejudice, lay it on us.

Why would you say the opposition is based in ‘prejudice’?

It makes no difference to me where a person is from, if they are not in the country legally, they should not be allowed to vote in our elections.

People who are citizens of another country can vote in elections in their own country. Not in the US. Just like I would not expect to vote in an election in Greece or Spain or Saudi Arabia.

Prejudice against non-citizens is still prejudice, even without an ethnic dimension.

No one is proposing allowing non-citizens the right to vote in state or federal elections.

Don’t worry, that will come next! It is the most logical next step.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 16? I think there’s a very compelling argument for allowing anyone age 10 or older to vote. 16 seems so arbitrary. Most 10 year olds are cognizant enough to vote.

My eight-year-old is very mature for her age. We have real conversations about things that matter. I think the voting age should be 8.

Every age is arbitrary, y'all. Including 18 and 21.

so why lower to 16, then? Why not 8?

Why keep it at 18? Why not 21? Why not 35?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible idea, for more reasons that I can spell out here.

Starting with that you hate young people?

Not wanting to let 16 year old undocumented immigrants vote does not equal ‘hating young people’.

They live in the community and are affected as much - if not more - by local public policy decisions. Many work and pay taxes. If you have an argument that can be separated from prejudice, lay it on us.

Many undocumented don't pay income taxes as they are paid under the table.

So,does this mean that only people who work should be able to vote?

They aren't allowed to sit on jury duty; drive passed midnight (except for two situations), but they should be able to vote? Maybe they'll vote to allow 16 yr olds to drive past midnight.

I think that voting is more important for civic participation than driving.

Income taxes are not the only taxes, by the way, and it would be great to have some data to support your "many people without legal status don't pay income taxes because they are paid under the table" claim.

If you actually lived in Montgomery County and had any real-life experience with undocumented immigrants, you would realize that is true. Many people who are here undocumented get paid in cash. Montgomery County essentially has an entire underground economy that runs on ‘cash only’. We have landlords in my neighborhood that rent to undocumented immigrants and get paid in cash, etc.

That is not data. Also, what's up with the claiming that people don't live in Montgomery County shtick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is being discussed on Jan 30, during the Council Meeting. Along with some other changes to voting.

Interesting that they want to lower the voting age. Are there other jurisdictions with a voting age of 16?

https://rockvillereports.com/commission-recommends-changes-to-voting-age-size-of-mayor-and-council-and-city-elections/

I would move it to 30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest reason not to do this is that it creates a big administrative burden on the city to maintain separate voter rolls and elections for city vs. state and federal. I am not sure that the added cost of that infrastructure to ensure that these minor and/or undocumented voters cannot vote in state and federal elections is worth whatever marginal democratic benefit it provides.

This is the one logical argument against.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 16? I think there’s a very compelling argument for allowing anyone age 10 or older to vote. 16 seems so arbitrary. Most 10 year olds are cognizant enough to vote.

My eight-year-old is very mature for her age. We have real conversations about things that matter. I think the voting age should be 8.

Every age is arbitrary, y'all. Including 18 and 21.

so why lower to 16, then? Why not 8?

Why keep it at 18? Why not 21? Why not 35?

Yep. I vote for 30, like the other PP. Sounds reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest reason not to do this is that it creates a big administrative burden on the city to maintain separate voter rolls and elections for city vs. state and federal. I am not sure that the added cost of that infrastructure to ensure that these minor and/or undocumented voters cannot vote in state and federal elections is worth whatever marginal democratic benefit it provides.

So true. What is the point to doing this? Does the city have the staff and extra money to implement this change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible idea, for more reasons that I can spell out here.

Starting with that you hate young people?

Not wanting to let 16 year old undocumented immigrants vote does not equal ‘hating young people’.

They live in the community and are affected as much - if not more - by local public policy decisions. Many work and pay taxes. If you have an argument that can be separated from prejudice, lay it on us.

Np. They are here illegally; they have no right to be here; they are generally not paying income taxes; and if they are under 18, they are children without skin in the game.