This amendment proposes that every U.S. citizen, from birth, is granted the right to vote. Until they turn 18, their parent or legal guardian will vote on their behalf. This ensures that the interests of children, who will live with the consequences of today’s decisions, are represented in elections.
Key Benefits to America
Representation for Future Generations:
Policies that affect the long-term future will reflect the needs of younger generations who will live with the outcomes.
Family Civic Engagement:
Encourages families to discuss politics and elections, promoting early learning about civic duties and political responsibility.
Higher Voter Turnout:
Expanding the voter base to include children’s votes, cast by their guardians, could lead to more participation in elections.
Focus on Long-Term Policies:
Politicians and voters will likely focus more on policies that benefit the long-term future, knowing they are voting on behalf of children’s interests.
Better Prepared Young Voters:
By engaging in political discussions from an early age, young people will be better informed and prepared to vote when they turn 18.
Common Concerns and Responses
“Won’t this just double parents’ votes?”
Response: While parents will vote for their children, they will do so with their child’s future in mind. This could shift the focus toward policies that benefit future generations.
“Doesn’t this give parents too much power?”
Response: Parents already have a vested interest in policies affecting their children. This policy ensures those impacts are formally represented.
“What about parents who don’t act in their children’s best interest?”
Response: Most parents naturally prioritize their children’s future. Additionally, this policy could lead to increased voter education, helping parents make more informed decisions.
“Will this complicate voting?”
Response: Voting systems can be updated to handle this, just like we manage absentee or mail-in voting. Modern technology can streamline the process.
“What happens when the child turns 18?”
Response: At 18, the individual will automatically take control of their own vote, ensuring a smooth transition into independent voting.
Conclusion
This amendment gives children a voice in elections, encouraging family discussions about civic responsibility and helping ensure that political decisions today consider the future. By involving parents in voting for their children, we create a system that better represents the interests of future generations.
Fascinating suggestion! To play devils advocate, do you think this would increase the number of children who’s identity is getting stolen for use in election fraud? I think this would also harbor good political and philosophical discussions between parents and children allowing children to start thinking critically about policies at an early age.
This sounds like a nightmarish idea for all parties. It just promotes voter fraud on a large scale and could promote monsters to have more children for their own political ideologies. Only thing I agree with in this is speaking more political talk within households and between families, but your solution would not be a proper way to achieve this.
As a parent with minor children, I don’t think this solves any problem. Children are the responsibility of the parent until they “legally” an adult.
Informed parents will already be talking to and instilling values into their children so when they become of age and have gained the ability to have a vote of their own they would know how to make their own informed decisions.
Every vote counts…rather every legal vote counts, under this kind of policy I could just go toss 5 votes at a candidate and have my vote more heavily weighted. I think this would also open up a lot more opportunity for voter fraud.
I agree that people sheparding in the next generation of Americans should have some extra voting weight that represents those minors. I’m not sure that a full vote is warranted. We might have to do something similar to the 3/5ths compromise again in order to get it passed.
Data is showing more and more that political leanings are heritable from parents. This should negate the argument that parents might not actually vote the way the child would want. I don’t agree with this argument anyway, because children don’t really have a clue on why they are voting until they are much older anyway.
Right now we have a serious birth gap and our population is shrinking. There are a lot more childless Americans that are only voting for themselves because they have no skin in the game in what America looks like in 50 years after they are gone. This could help offset some of these voters with more votes that are long term oriented. (Yes I know some people will still vote stupidly with their kids votes, but on average this should be an improvement.)
Your 3rd point is my main reason for wanting something like this to get passed. Longer-term thinking is going to be required to get our country out of this mess. As standard of living declines like it seems to be, more people will be desperate for immediate benefits at the expense of our children’s futures.
Thank you all for the feedback! My main belief is that citizen under 18 should have the same equal representation as an 80 year old who won’t live to feel the effects of their vote.
I understand the concerns about voter fraud, parents having more voting power, and whether this truly reflects children’s interests.
• Voter Fraud: Safeguards like secure ID verification, similar to absentee voting, would be put in place to prevent fraud.
• Parental Voting Power: While parents would have more influence, they’re already voting with their children’s future in mind. We could consider options like fractional votes to keep it fair.
• Children’s Interests: Most parents naturally prioritize their kids’ future. This system would encourage more thoughtful, long-term voting and meaningful civic discussions within families.
Something people need to realize is this type of proxy voting is a literal extension of the “one person, one vote” concept. We have a very large group of legal citizens for whom there is no corresponding vote: One home of five citizens might have five votes, while another home of five might only have one vote shared between them.
That is clearly not “one person, one vote”. A family of five deserves as much representation as five college freshman crammed in an apartment. To contest otherwise is an open rejection of “one person, one vote”.
And lets allow them to get Tattoos, Sex Change Operations, Hormone Treatments, Drink Alcohol, Smoke Weed, and Sell drugs, just so they get the Full ““Civic Responsibility”” experience…
And while we’re at it, lets just put the Children in Charge of the Adults, see how that turns out, you know, Ice Cream and Donuts for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, but at Dinner, with Maple syrup…
I did read it, and you should be grateful I only responded with mild Sarcasm, frankly what you propose is nothing short of the same insane BS we have been putting up with for the last 12+ Years…
There’s a Specific Reason why Children do not get to Vote, and it’s because they are NOT MATURE MENTALLY, granted in todays world, we have some ““Adults”” that aren’t Mentally Mature, like that guy that suggested we let children Vote…
I’m happy for you, in that you have obviously gotten some really great s"“moke”", but the idea is just insane, and was purposely NEVER BROUGHT UP by the Founers when they put together the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution or any other important Papers…
And even after 250 Years, it still hasn’t until this Post, ever been brought up In Public, by anyone who takes themselves Seriously…
But I’d bet you’d be a good Comedian, especially if this is what you lead with in the show…
Minors have no contribution to society and can be manipulated too easily. This dangerous policy proposal opens the door for massive fraud, or worse, children being exploited and used as a commodity that can be bought and sold to win elections.
I think it would make much more sense to go back to only allowing people that pay taxes to vote, after all they are the ones paying for everything. There is also a ton of room for abuse in giving kids a vote. Are you really going to give someone that has been on welfare for 18 years, has never paid a dime in taxes, has 15 children and has been nothing but a tremendous burden to society the voting power of 16 people. I’d argue that such a person shouldn’t be allowed to vote at all. Maybe people should be given a basic intelligence test before they can vote.
If a child can not vote they don’t need a voice in elections. Voting is an adult function. If you want to teach your children about elections, then do that. That is what I did. But involving them in our elections when they are not equipt to make decisions regarding many of the topics is just ridiculous. Stop trying to be woke and use logic.