While I object to the sort of elitist voting mentioned above, I think there should be some metric beyond age to determine who is allowed to vote ('warm body' democracies are a recipe for eventual disaster). Maybe something like this:
You step into the voting booth (or log into the voting website, whichever) and find that the computer has generated five basic civics questions for you to answer - nothing too esoteric, just the sort of thing sixth graders used to study. Get them all right, and the machine unlocks so you can vote. Get even one wrong, and a cacophony of bells, klaxons and flashing red lights erupts, announcing to everyone within earshot that you, an adult human being, able to hold a job, drive a car, have romantic outings, etc, have just demonstrated that are too ignorant to have a voice in governing the State.
Provision could, of course, be made for the illiterate and for those whose first language is not the majority language of where they live.
Boru
You step into the voting booth (or log into the voting website, whichever) and find that the computer has generated five basic civics questions for you to answer - nothing too esoteric, just the sort of thing sixth graders used to study. Get them all right, and the machine unlocks so you can vote. Get even one wrong, and a cacophony of bells, klaxons and flashing red lights erupts, announcing to everyone within earshot that you, an adult human being, able to hold a job, drive a car, have romantic outings, etc, have just demonstrated that are too ignorant to have a voice in governing the State.
Provision could, of course, be made for the illiterate and for those whose first language is not the majority language of where they live.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
