What age can you vote in your country?????

in malaysia, you need to wait until 21years old then you can vote,where you come from? you country can vote while you 16 years old?

Good morning Design, Nice to visit with you again. In the U.S.A. the minimum age is 18, as has already been mentioned. Absentee Ballots are quite common, and although we were set up to require voting only at a registered polling place, that is being changed state by state. I may have a bit of a different perspective on this because I am very involved with the voting process here. I am a Precinct Captain, and work the elections at the polling place. I mention this because it means that I see the flaws in the system up close and personal. After having been a Precinct Captain for several years now, my perspective on voting has changed. I used to believe that everyone should get out and vote. I don't believe that anymore. I have seen people come in to vote who know absolutely nothing about the current issues or candidates. Many need help understanding the ballot. And, what I find most aggregious is that the overwhelming majority of people do not vote the issues, rather they vote the party. This creates real problems because no one candidate represents their full party platform. As for the change being made to allow registered voters to vote in locations other than their designated polling place, Wow ... talk about a boondoggle. This change opens the door for incredible fraud opportunities. People will attempt to vote in more than one location, and sometimes they get away with it. In our 2000 Presidential race, there were buses of political activists who crossed state lines on voting day to vote in 2,3,& 4 different states. In a system where one person is supposed to have one vote, this movement between polling places represents nothing less than an opportunity to counteract someone else's vote. Moreover, voting in other than a registered polling place really slows down the vote count. Each unregisterd vote has to be hand tabulated and cross-referenced with the designated polling roll, then confirmed that the voter still resides in their designated precinct. In our last general election, the count wasn't confirmed until nearly a month after election day. What a mess that was. As for lowering the age to 16, this is a very bad idea, in my opinion. I've begun to wish that we hadn't lowered the age to 18 here in the States, for two reasons: First, because people don't consciously choose their own party affiliation until they've had some personal life experience outside the protective bubble of school and their parents home. Prior to true independence, they will undoubtedly vote as their parents or other strong influence suggests. This also equates to two votes for one person -- the one being the influencer. Second, recent medical and psychological research has found that most human beings do not fully develop their sense of Judgement until approximately age 25. Until then, their powers of discernment and critical thinking skills are not honed. Meaning that they are more open to suggestion than those who are a bit older. As a Precinct Captain I see the following scenario more times than I would wish. Late teens almost never come to the polling place alone. They are ususally with a parent, or at least one friend. When this happens, you can count on a huddle by the front door where one tells the other who to vote for. I would much rather see them arrive alone and ask help from a poll worker, like myself. Because, although we can explain an amendment or capital outlay bill, we are prohibited from influencing a vote. This means that we can explain the wording, and summarize the pro's/con's but we cannot tell someone how they should vote. One last note on this subject. Here in the States, our ballots are designed to allow a voter to vote for each candidate individually or they can vote the party line. I would really like to see party-line voting done away with. A country does best when it's voting block is informed and committed. Party-line voting just allows our citizens to be sheepish, thereby averting their responsibility toward informed voting. On a more comical note: many States have recently enacted legislation to prohibit intoxicated voting. You wouldn't believe how many ennebriated folks come in to vote. My state just prohibited intoxicated voting two years ago, so I haven't yet had the misfortune of cutting someone off before they pull the lever. That ought to be fun (sarcasm on). For what it's worth, there you have it. The Memiors of a Precinct Captain.

in the UK it is 18 years and i think this is the right age for our country. However, if you are in prison, a certified lunatic or a member of the house of lords you are not entitled to vote, however old you are blessed be

That's crazy! In theory, expanding the electorate is more democratic, but I don't think it's right practically. What do 16/17 year olds really know about politics? That's no offence to them because I know I didn't, all those 3 years ago. We vote at 18 here in the UK. But if it was up to me I would increase the voting, driving, drinking and smoking age to 21 because far too many young people, like my mates, are too immature to do these things responsibly.

In the state of Oregon where I live, we only have vote by mail. It is much easier than wasting time and gasoline to drive to a polling place, but I suppose there could be more fraud that way like someone else in the family marking somone's ballot and forging a signature. All over America, you can apply for absentee ballots if you are going to be away on election day, such as soldiers serving abroad, etc. These ballots have to be received by the polling place by a certain date in order to be counted.

Here in Latvia we can vote when we get 18 years old. I'm only 16 but I already know for what I'm going to vote for ! :) Although 16 may be too fast to vote. Teenagers may not be interested in politics and vote totally stupid!

we can vote at 18 in the U.S. don't think it should be moved here.

I'm Italian, in my country you can vote only if you are 18, but someone would change it from 18 years down to 16 years. I think that this could be a good idea, who knows. This year, for the first time, a lot of Italians who live abroad could vote. To me this has been a very good idea, they are Italians even if they live abroad now and deserve voting like us. I agree with you, I think that the postal votes could be a good idea.

Here in Italy you must be 18 years old to vote, but you must be 25 to vote for senate. I think a guy of 16 years old is too young to vote, I think 18 is a good age to start. According to me, voting is a right and a duty, but also a great responsibility, so a person should have a clear idea in mind. I agree with you to let people voting by mail and Italian people can vote when they live abroad.

in Singapore, you need to be 21. And my country collects votes from overseas. These people need to go to their respective Embassy of Repulic of Singapore to cast their votes. O ya, in Singapore, voting is compulsory and you can be jailed for missing it. Anyway, regarding reducing the age limit down to 16, i think it's a very very bad choice. 1. At the age of 16, most people are too immature to thiink for the future. 2. They are easily influence by other people, which may lead to bad voting choice, and in turn causes the downfall of a country

in my country vote can be start at 17 years old,if your country change it from 18 years old down to 16 years old,I think that's very good ideas.Why??? because at this age everyone start to thinking maturity about himself and the future can he makes. In this age everyone can make a decission in our life,he know where is the better for him and worst thing that not should to do. I agree with your goverment decision

In Malaysia i only can vote after 21 years old....

In my country you can vote at the age of 18. Yes, I think that 16 is too young for people to vote at.

In Canada, you must be 18 yrs old to vote. There has been an issue with people not voting in local elections so Ontario decided to mail out an advanced vote in the mail. I was able to select who I wanted to vote for and put it back in the post without having to take time off from work. The Ontario government was happily impressed with the amount of people taht chose to vote by the post. We are all too busy these days to take time off work to go to a local hall and vote.

In Ireland the voting age is 18, I'm 20 now and haven't voted yet, and my dad was the one who got me all the forms and took care of it all! We have elections coming up in May, I'm not into politics at all and if I don't like any of the candidates I'm voting for the Green Party!

I had to register to vote when I turned 18. I don't believe 16 is too young. I wish they would change the age to get your driver's license to 15 and change the driver's permit age to 14. No I don't think 16 is too young of an age to vote.

you have to be 18 here in canada have a great day Cheryl