Illinois Proposal wants to allow 17 year olds to vote....

[Augen]

Kasz216 said:

Oh damn it. I thought it was just all 17 year olds. In which it would greatly effect some peoples voting prefrences. Though I just noticed it's 17 year olds who will be 18 by the time the election comes around.

In which case... it will probably effect nothing outside giving more "longshot" candidates a better shot. Which being one state means jack all.


If it let 17 year olds who WOULDN'T be 18 by the general election to vote in the primaries THAT would cause a big difference. Otherwise... no.


Outside which... i feel republicans are complaining that it would lead to more democratic bias in younger people... when... even in Chicago i'd argue it'd be the opposite.

Most 18 year olds are going to be going to college, espiecally those who care about voting. College generally is going to make you turn leftwords.


A turn back right wing positions wise doesn't happen until you are 30-35. (And it is a legitimate turn back right wing, not that your positions shift right... your actual opinion on positions tends to shift right.).



It generally goes like this. Before College - You're base is roughly what your parents base is... altered slightly by your social group, whose political leanings are based on their parents. With a slight leftward shift. You can have divergent opinions from your parents before college. Violently divergent ones even... but that's a minority case.


During College - General Left wing shift as you interact with more people and colleges generally are more left wing then the average person. Mileage will of course vary based on your college and major, but on average it holds.


Around 30-35 - General right wing shift back. As for why? I could name a bunch of reasons which generally would be insulting to either side... but generally seems unproductive.


So really if this was some "evil democrat scheme!" they'd be shooting themselves in the foot.  Chances are, any indoctrination effect that would make a difference among people not already paying attention to the election during the primaries... but will be come election time... will mostly go to kids of republican families going to college.  (Again though, this is going to be a tiny, likely inconsequential and statistically irrelevent number.  Espiecally in such a reliably blue state.)

Much how voter ID actually shot republicans in the foot in the places it was implemented because it got more racial minorities and poor people to vote, because when people have to go through a couple hoops to vote. They're going to vote. That's half the trick behind the "Do X and get a coupon."

It's more likely to get you to use the coupon and come in to their store.

*Applauds*