Bob CollinsOver the years, Minneapolis Rep. Phyllis Kahn has elicited a few guffaws with her occasional bill to lower the voting age in Minnesota to 16.
She figures they can fire guns. They can drive cars. Why not vote?
It’s crazy talk, her colleagues say, which is why the bill has been buried time and time again.
Who doesn’t think so? Scotland.
They’re casting votes today as Scotland decides whether to remain in the U.K. or become an independent nation. It’s rather an important question which has significant impact on future generations.
“Our influence is more important than the older generation because we’re going to be living here longer,” says one young voter.
Suddenly, we realized in NPR reporter Ari Shapiro’s fine piece on All Things Considered last evening, it doesn’t seem like a crazy idea.
Scotland made an exception for this election only, but, as Shapiro noted, a lot of people in Scotland apparently believe it’s only a matter of time before 16-year-olds can vote in every election.
Is there a downside here? Maybe. But could 16 year olds really be any more uninformed than some of the people allowed to vote now?
