The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
From The Toronto Star, Dec. 12 With Canadians Ñ 18 years old, and over Ñ set to go to the polls next month, there have been renewed calls to lower the voting age to 16. Well-intentioned advocates say this would help reverse declining voter turnout by giving people a direct role in politics earlier in life. And there is no doubt that some 16-year-old Canadians possess the maturity and awareness needed to make an informed choice in a federal election. But people develop at different rates, and so it is equally certain that many others in this age group would be better equipped to cast a ballot with more of the common sense that often comes with age. In view of that gap in maturity, 16-year-olds should not be given the right to vote. Whether voter turnout would be affected at all, over the long run, remains highly speculative. What is clear is that Canadian society has concluded, in many other areas of responsibility, that 16-year-olds lack the collective maturity to warrant the full rights of adulthood. Advocates of a lower voting age note that Canadians receive important freedoms on reaching 16. They are deemed old enough to drop out of school, drive a car, and join the Canadian Forces Reserves. Yet, precisely the same examples show that society still does not consider these teens mature enough to bear the full rights of adults. Rules, quite properly, forbid sending 16-year-old reservists into combat. In addition, teens this age are not allowed to drink alcohol or see a restricted film. Obviously, on several levels, 16-year-olds have been deemed lacking in the maturity needed to make many important decisions. In fact, in recent years, the trend has been to reduce their freedoms rather than grant new ones Ñ as witnessed by the recent introduction of new graduated drivers' licence restrictions and the coming ban on quitting school at 16. To be sure, in many areas of endeavour, young people are more informed and knowledgeable than ever before. No generation is better equipped to navigate the complexities of the computer age. And civics classes have helped enhance teens' grasp of policy debate and the political process. But some decisions Ñ like voting Ñ involve more than technical knowledge. They demand a certain level of maturity. After all, the average 14-year-old is likely skilled enough to master driving a car, and smart enough to memorize the rules of the road. It isn't all that hard. What 14-year-olds tend to lack, however, are the judgment, perspective, experience and maturity that mainly come with age. That's why they should not drive. Young people eager to plunge into the political process can do so by voluntarily helping the candidate of their choice, going to rallies and debating the issues of the day. But casting a ballot is different. In a democracy, the power to do so marks a significant rite of passage. It comes in the fullness of time, and it is worth the wait.12/14/2005
