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March 09, 2004

While we're at it...

According to AP, State Senator Vasconellos has a way to really make those voting systems gag and choke:

A proposed amendment to California's constitution would give 16-year-olds a half-vote and 14-year-olds a quarter-vote in state elections.

State Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-Santa Clara, was among four lawmakers to propose the idea on Monday. He said the Internet, cellular phones, multichannel television and a diverse society makes today's teens better informed than their predecessors.
Several people have noted the parallels to the 3/5ths vote of slavery days, but let's take this a bit further:
  • 2 votes for high school graduates (1 1/2 for GREs)
  • 3 votes for veterans
  • 4 votes for college graduates and one more vote each for a masters or doctorate
  • 1 extra vote for each $1000 donated to charity
  • no votes for welfare recipients
  • and of course, 100 votes for Nobel laureates
Then hope like hell you don't have to do a recount. Myself, I'll go for allowing children of any age to vote if they pay income or property taxes.

Posted by Kevin Murphy at March 9, 2004 04:11 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Not that I think 14-year-olds should vote, but any 14-year-old who has a job *does* pay income tax, and is taxed at their parent's marginal tax rate.

Posted by: aphrael at March 9, 2004 09:05 PM

I have long been of the opinion that we should either lower the voting age to around 14 for kids who take courses in civics in High School, or raise it all the way up to 30.

Posted by: Dean Esmay at March 10, 2004 03:50 AM