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Originally Posted by politicophile
I'm pretty sure the reason that minors aren't allowed to vote is that they are not well-informed enough to affect national elections.
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Not really. Adulthood has long been recognized as a basic requirement for full-fledged access to the privledges of citizenship. The reason is not ignorance so much as the recognition under the law that a minor can not fully take responsibility for actions that will be life-altering. This is why they are denied the ability to join the military without parental consent, to consume drugs such as alcohol or nicotine, or to willingly have sexual relations with an adult. Now we can discuss whether it is proper to impose these restrictions on minors, but it is off-topic. The point is that it is not just pure ignorance that is the basis for denying minors the vote. No competence test is required to buy beer or cigs.