[Constitutional Convention][2][26 Jan 2013] Reducing the voting age to 17

RangeR

Ah sure, you make an old man blush.

I sort of fooked up today, though. Thought I was doing the right thing in inviting a "fringe" [but very important] group on boards to discuss the current two topics. I was, in no uncertain words, told to fook off by one of the mods.

In fairness, I DIDN'T read their charter and what I did was not allowed. Fair enough. But that .... mod was .... disrespectful to say the least.


Hmmm, I typed up a good bit of a rant but decided it's best not to post it so I guess I have nothing more constructive to say on this.

PopePalpatine

Sorry for digging up a (relatively) old thread, but I wonder who opposed lowering the voting age to 18 back in the (IIRC) 1970s?

RangeR

PopePalpatine wrote: »

Sorry for digging up a (relatively) old thread, but I wonder who opposed lowering the voting age to 18 back in the (IIRC) 1970s?

I'm unsure. However, in one of the presentations on the day of the #ccven, I believe that was mentioned. The documents are here, if you'd like.

But it might have been said in an adhoc way, maybe in Q&A. It's only a suggestions, but you could watch the Youtube vidoes of that meeting ##cven do have a YouTube channel. That will take a LONG time, though.

expectationlost

how many of the convention members read how many of the submission documents?

Annasopra

expectationlost wrote: »

how many of the convention members read how many of the submissions documents?

Impossible question to answer

RangeR

It is impossible to answer. For myself, I try to read them all. However, they are also given to us on the day, to read over at our leisure. One of each side is also then recited back to us, in plenary, by the actual professionals who provided them.

The other submissions are also verbally made known to us on the day.

RandomName2

You have the ask the question: why a particular age?

18 is about the age that people will finish up their secondary education. At this age they become an adult, and have no real legal restrictions. It makes sense to coincide voting with this age.

But it isn't actually mandatory that people be in school until that age. By the age of 16 (I think) we have said that people have been under the auspices of the state long enough such that they can have the choice whether to stay on in education or not. The fact that most do is not the point - we believe they have enough knowledge that the state need not insist on their continuing education.

Of course one could say that we should wait until people have a third level qualification or alternatively, some experience in the working world - which would provide a case for setting the age to 21.

Is anybody actually forwarding any real reason for this issue to be debated at all? Is it just random noise?

In fact it is strange that we should be debating an issue where we are the norm, whereas with the age-of-consent we have one of the highest age restrictions in the world (which has some pretty hair-raising laws for teenagers, not to mention sexually discriminatory legislation). :eek:

Cookie_Monster

well they have to give the impression of doing something at these meetings

RangeR

I received a draft of the report a week ago. The report was presented to Government today so I assume there were no changes. Draft attached. Happy Reading.

Edit : Attachment is too big. Try this.

RangeR

I just saw this in today's Irish Times. Haven't heard it on the radio or officially through ccven yet.

Reduction of voting age from 18 to 16 to be put to referendum

The Government has accepted the recommendation of the constitutional convention to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 and has committed that the matter will be put to referendum during the lifetime of this administration.

The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting yesterday, decided to accept three of the four major recommendations that emerged from the first session of the convention in January.

The convention is comprised of 66 citizens and 33 politicians and is chaired by former head of Concern Tom Arnold. It has been asked to deliberate on a range of issues that might merit constitutional change.

Ministers also agreed that a referendum be held on the recommendation that the minimum age requirement for a president be reduced from 35 to 21. The Cabinet accepted another conclusion of the convention that the presidential term should remain at seven years and not be reduced to five.

The one major departure of Cabinet from the convention report is its rejection of its recommendation that ordinary citizens have a role in the nomination process in a presidential election.

At present, a person cannot become a candidate for a presidential election unless they are supported by at least 20 Oireachtas members or by four local authorities. The argument was made by former candidate Senator David Norris that it tended to exclude those from outside political parties. The recommendation was overwhelmingly supported by 94 per cent of delegates.

By contrast, the result for the reduction in voting age was marginal, 52 per cent to 47.

As a concession, the issue is being referred to the Oireachtas environment committee for further discussion.

“It was felt that the current system where nominations are made through elected representatives is a democratic process,” said a source.

PRAF

RangeR wrote: »

I just saw this in today's Irish Times. Haven't heard it on the radio or officially through ccven yet.

Reduction of voting age from 18 to 16 to be put to referendum

I'm still trying to get my head around the conventions decision to maintain the current voting system, keep the same number of TDs, and recommend bigger multi-seat constituencies. A terrible missed opportunity to reform our broken political system. It's a ringing endorsement of parish pump politics