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16 Year Olds Vote And Newcomers To The Island


nipper

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What is really frightening is that over 20% of those entitled to register to vote haven't done so.

 

That maens that if we get a 50% turn out its only really 40%

 

Lets take Peel. lets say the votes go 40%, 35% and 25%. That means the winner will get in supported by only 16% of the elctotrate

 

Not much of a mandate!

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You're right, Thieawin,

The next time things go wrong we should remember who's really to blame.

It's not the government and its not the civil servants - its the people who were too bloody lazy to bother registering and voting for better candidates!

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Prior to the summer holidays there was an interview with students leaving school this year, I believe it was Ramsey Grammar, I cannot remember. One of the items for discussion was voting this November. Most were quite apathetic saying things like "We never get listened to anyway, so why bother".

 

Some actually had an opionion. However, each student was supposed to sign onto the electoral roll prior to leaving school, only 20% did. That means 80% of those students will have to go out of their way to even get the right to vote, let alone take the time to go to the poles. Plus, of the 20% that do have the right to vote how many will actually go to the poles?

 

Was it really worth the time in Tynwald and associated cost to the tax payer to give them the vote?

 

Of the 16 year olds I know and talk to not one is really interested in politics.

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its the people who were too bloody lazy to bother registering and voting for better candidates!

 

How would you know if the people that didn't vote would vote any different from the people who do vote, if they did vote. IYSWIM

 

Because they're usually the first to say "How did that bunch of bloody clowns get in?"

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Oh, I see you're just having another aimless rant at the establishment.

 

Move along, nothing to see here.

Well, not from you anyway so no change there.....

 

So what the heck are we doing giving the vote to 16 year olds?

 

It is a ridiculous cheap gimmick, that has obviously paid off in (BBC) publicity.

 

Anne Craine was the only one to vote against the motion. She explains herself very well on the matter.

 

The vast, vast majority of our teenagers didn't ask for the vote, don't want it, and won't use it.

 

Maybe tomorrow I will be proved wrong but I'm willing to bet any money there'll be a lot less than half of them bother to vote.

Well, free money is always welcome. The Politics Show figures are that out of the 1500 or so 16-17 yo's that are eligible to vote only about 700 had registered - probably less than half. For me Anne Craine came out well ahead of the other three and if Bell thinks that the bus drivers are going to be the biggest drain on the IOM Gov Pension Fund so privatising the bus service will save the day then maybe he should spend his time supporting projects like Mount Murray......

 

Frankly the youngsters featured simply served to reinforce my view that they shouldn't have the vote a la Anne Craine. Their teacher was also sporting a rather strange earring in his left ear which was, for some reason, the side he showed most to the camera. Teachers should set an example as any fule kno.

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In fairness, I've just driven less than 7 miles and have passed:

 

1. A new sewage processing plant

2. A new power station

3. A new hospital

 

So that's alright then.

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I think that is extremely unneccessary. I am 17, and take an interest in Manx politics as do many of my friends and some of the students studying politics at my school. I Probably take more of an interest than many over 18s. What automatically qualifies you at 18 to understand politcs anyway? At least this was there can be provisions made to introduce some type of political education into schools.

I was not sure about the lowered voting age at first, as it seemed no one had asked for it, but now I am completely in favour. On second thoughts, I realised at least the government are giving us a chance, unlike, it appears, people like you who generalise and make sarcastic comments.

 

So according to your little stereotype, we are all unsafe drivers, probably drinking at the wheel with our newly lowered age restricted alcohol, dying [along with our unborn babies thanks to those free condoms you talk about] of lung cancer, uneducated and favour graffiti and eminem over real works of art?

 

Well then why even bother posting on these forums if thats the future of the Isle of Man.

There can be many generalisations made about your age group, too.

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Yes, welcome and well said.

 

Anyone who is a consumer of Manx government services, whether they pay tax or not should be entitled to a vote.

 

16 seems reasonable enough, you can drive, marrry, join up and kill and be killed.

 

It is highly fitting for the nation which first gave women the vote to now extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds along with those other bastions of democracy Cuba and Iran.

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