There is a Democratic Party movement to lower the voting age from 18 to 16. I am not in favor of this movement at all.
16 year olds are known to make very poor decisions. They lack wisdom and life experience to make sound decisions. I was 16 once and made poor choices then. My children were 16 once and they made poor decisions. It’s a part of growing up and becoming a responsible adult. But not worth risking the future of the nation on the chaotic mind of a young teenager.
I do think we need some voter reform. So here is my proposal on the subject of age and voting eligibility. We raise the voting age. Not universally, but on a sliding scale.
The sliding scale is based on already established laws throughout the United States. These are the laws that have restrictions on who can run for a particular public office.
For most state and local offices this is 18 years of age. However some jurisdictions and offices have other age and related requirements on who can be elected to office. In Montana for instance, one has to be 21 years of age to be a mayor of any town.
Thus we adapt this system for all elections in this proposal. In order to vote in an election or candidate for office. You must meet the same requirements as running for that office. In the example above. If there was a mayoral election in Montana, only those voters who were 21 years of age or older could participate. The same would be true for any other local or even state-wide election. The same requirements in age, residency, citizenship to be elected would also apply to those voting.
In Federal elections. Those requirements are defined in the Constitution.
To run for or participate in the election of a US House congressman. Both the voter and candidate would have to be at least 25 years of age. And a resident of the particular state for the last 7 years.
To run for or participate in the election of a US Senator. Both the voter and candidate would have to be at least 30 years of age. And be a US Citizen for the last 9 years and a resident of the particular state.
To run for or participate in the election of the US President. Both the voter, including the electoral college, and candidate must be at least 35 years of age. And a Natural born US Citizen and a resident of the United States for the past 14 years.
All active duty military and honorably discharged veterans would be exempt from any age requirements in voting as a reward to their service to the nation.
With the implementation of this sliding scale voter requirement. Every voter would need to have and show a photo ID in order to vote. Thus proving the age of the voter. There would be multiple ballots. Not only based on precincts but also based on age. And presenting a photo ID does reduce the changes of having voter fraud.
This proposal will produce an electorate with more wisdom and life experiences necessary to properly elected our representatives who govern in our stead in a just republic.