I want to vote !

Background: As my birthday falls on November, I was unable to turn 21 in time to vote at the last elections. Wasted sia. I really want to exercise my rights and and express my views through the ballot boxes. It doesn’t really matter who I am going to vote for. I just want to vote. Ever since the last elections, I have been thinking of this issue which I am going to talk about it in this post: Voting at 18. Young Singaporeans can vote well and are ready to vote at 18 and they want to vote.

I will allow the following discourse to tell you why?

What do Singapore, Fiji, Samoa, Gabon, Tonga, Kuwait and Lebanon have in common?

The citizens of these countries are only able to vote at the age of 21.

Internationally, 18 years is most often recognized as the age of majority and the voting age in many countries and Singapore is more of the exception rather than the norm in this aspect. I would like to argue that Singapore followed the prevailing trend in the rest of the world and lowered its voting age from 21 years and allowed citizens to vote at the age of 18.

Youths at the age of 18

Male Singaporeans enlist into the Singapore Armed Forces at the age of 18. If young men at the age of 18 are required to serve, represent and possibly die for their country, why is it that the constitution is so skeptical of their judgements when it comes to matters of the state, in particularly electoral reforms.

Young Singaporeans can start pursing a life of choice and freedom at the age of 18. For instance, they have the freedom to smoke, to drive(all classes of vehicles), to join a political party, to sign legally binding contracts (scholarships especially), to work and pay taxes. In addition to that, Singaporeans at the age of 18 can be charged as a non-minor for certain legal offences. In this case, why is it that young Singaporeans upon the age of 18 cannot have the choice to choose who their representatives in parliament will be.

Politicians will represent their interests if youths can vote

Politicians represent various constituencies; currently young people are no one’s constituency. Why should politicians care about the needs and wishes of youths when they have no ability to vote for or against them? Lowering the voting age will give politicians a real reason to respect the desires of young people.

Youths feel alienated from politics and politicians, lowering the voting age will include them in the process. Lowering the voting age will provide them with a direct, constructive and democratic channel for making their views felt and for giving them a responsible stake in the future of the nation.

Youths have a unique perspective, they’ll never have those experiences again

A common argument against lowering the voting age is that it isn’t a burden to wait a few more years. Why go through the trouble to lower the age to 18 when after three years they’ll be able to vote anyway? Were it that simple, perhaps it isn’t.

Would it be acceptable to limit the right to vote to those with a certain income, that those earning a lesser income must work harder or wait till they make enough to qualify as a voter? No it wouldn’t. Voters vote based on their individual circumstances, when those circumstances change so do their voting habits. The concerns of a 18 year old are different than that of a 40 year old, just as the concerns of a poor man differ from that of a rich man. The beliefs and priorities of 18 year olds as a class are unique to them; we cannot expect former 18 year olds to have as accurate a perspective as those who are currently that age. If we care at all about the needs and desires of our youths, they must be allowed to vote for themselves.

Youths are rash and irresponsible in their voting?

The argument that youths “should not vote because they lack the ability to make informed and intelligent decisions is valid only if that standard is applied to all citizens.” But yet this standard is not applied to all citizens, only young people. We do not deprive a senile person of this right, nor do we deprive any of the thousands of alcoholics, neurotic and psychotic of it.

Even beyond senile, neurotic, and psychotic adults, regular adults often do not meet the unrealistic standard opponents to youth voting propose. Ask any adult who is out current Minister of Trade and Industry? Who is Singapore’s Second President? Who was Singapore’s 1st labour minister? Adults might not necessarily be able to answer these questions better than a youth at the age of 18. Yet these adults are happily given the right to vote.

The fact is, intelligence or maturity is not the basis upon which the right to vote is granted, if that were the case all voters would need to pass a test before voting, and lack of education or information about election issues is not a basis for withholding the franchise. Youth shouldn’t be held to a stricter standard than adults; lower the voting age.

Youths will vote well

It is silly to fear that huge masses of youth will rush to the voting booth and unwittingly vote irresponsibly. Some worry about youths voting for uncredible opposition candidates with a shady past. These fears are unfounded. We should remember that many people today vote at first, and often for many years after, exactly as their parents voted. We are all deeply influenced, in politics as everything else, by the words and example of people we love and trust. One’s political leanings are influenced by their community and their family, and it is likely young voters will vote in much the same way as their parents, not because they are coerced to do so, but because of shared values.

There are no wrong votes

Noting that youth will most likely vote well we must wonder, is it at all possible for a voter to vote wrong? Did voters in Hougang choose poorly when they elected Low Thia Khiang in 1991? Did voters choose poorly when they gave 49% of their votes to the Workers’ Party team in Eunos GRC in 1988? The PAP might say so. By voting for the opposition, is it fair to claim that you are voting wrongly? I don’t think so. All voters have their own reasons for voting, we may disagree with their reasons, but we must respect their right to make a decision. This is what we must do with youths.

Lowering the voting age will provide an intrinsic benefit to the lives of youths

Granting youth the right to vote will have a direct effect on their character, intelligence and sense of responsibility. Is it any wonder why many youths feel apathetic towards politics? After 18 years of their life being told their opinion doesn’t matter, they are just foolish children who should be seen and not heard, is anyone surprised that many people over 18 feel turned off by politics and don’t participate? We can see this contrast between volunteering and politics. Teenagers have amazingly high levels of volunteering and community service, however many feel turned off by politics. Including youths in a real, substantive way in politics will lead to even more interest as they take their public-spirited nature into the political realm.

I think that if given the chance, young people are far more intelligent, far more responsible, and far more mature than we give them credit for. I will like to point out that by the time I turned 18, I could recognise that I am part of a community and I have to work together as a group of people in a community, whether that community is a school, a marketplace or even a country. By 18, I really can understand my obligations to the community. I’m confident that many more young people like me are mature enough to want to exercise their vote. Given the proper political education in schools, I believe many youths can perform this sacred duty to the nation and their future with respect and responsibility.

Conclusion

What kind of twisted message is the government sending when they tell youths they are judged mature, responsible adults when they are enlisted in the military, but silly, brainless kids when they want to vote? Isn’t this double standard on the part of the government? Leaders who youths can’t vote for today may send them to war tomorrow. Lowering the voting age is the just, fair way to set things straight.

A heartlander with a simple wish: He wants to exercise his vote.