Who Should Vote?

In the aftermath of the Scottish independence in which 16 and 17 year-olds voted (contrary to assumptions a majority of this group voted against independence) there’s been some discussion over who should be allowed to vote:

While it’s true that this potential voting cohort will be profoundly impacted by the decisions made by politicians elected before they are eligible to vote, there does’t seem to be the same sense of urgency. Indeed, beyond the knowledge issue dealt with above, the fact that these potential voters don’t really have anything other than an abstract stake in society at this point in their lives is another argument against extending the franchise to them. That being said, the seemingly successful experiences of nations like Austria and Denmark, along with the decision to extend the franchise in Scotland for the limited purpose of the independence referendum, argues that it is at least an idea that ought to be considered even if we don’t rush headlong into signing up High School Seniors and Juniors to vote.

So far the discussion has dodged the question of who should be allowed to vote and why. Let me present some alternatives:

• Everybody. No criteria.
• All people of sound mind. How is that defined?
• All people of sound mind above some arbitrary age. What age? Are some 7 year old more prepared to vote than some 16 year olds?
• Stakeholders.
• Shareholders.
• Whatever criteria can be reasonably administered.

I opposed lowering the voting age to 18 and still believe there’s a better argument for raising the voting age to 30 than lowering it even farther. IMO the basic criteria for voting should be the ability to render an independent judgement. That’s the reason we don’t allow 7 year olds to vote rather than simply their ages or imputed lack of knowledge. That their votes are heavily influenced by their parents.