Why is PAP so resistant to lowering the voting age from 21 to 18?
If you need to serve NS at 18, why can't you vote at 18?
Look at all these countries. All of them allow voting at 18.
Afghanistan: 18
Algeria: 18
American Samoa: 18
Andorra: 18
Angola: 18
Anguilla: 18
Antigua and Barbuda: 18
Argentina: 18
Armenia: 18
Aruba: 18
Australia: 18 (compulsory for all over 18, can enroll at 17)
Austria: 16[20](Except for European Parliament elections, which are 18)
Azerbaijan: 18
[edit]B
Bahamas: 18
Bahrain: 18
Bangladesh: 18
Barbados: 18
Belarus: 18
Belgium: 18
Belize: 18
Benin: 18
Bermuda: 18
Bhutan: each family has one vote in village-level elections; note — in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law
Bolivia: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 18
Botswana: 18
Brazil: 16 (mandatory suffrage from 18 to 70)
British Virgin Islands: 18
Brunei: no suffrage
Bulgaria: 18
Burkina Faso: 18
Burundi: 18
[edit]C
Cambodia: 18
Cameroon: 21
Canada: 18
Cape Verde: 18
Cayman Islands: 18
Central African Republic: 21
Chad: 18
Chile: 18
China, People's Republic of: 18
Colombia: 18
Comoros: 18
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 18
Congo, Republic of the: 18
Cook Islands: 18
Costa Rica: 18
Cote d'Ivoire: 18
Croatia: 18
Cuba: 16
Cyprus: 18
Czech Republic: 18
[edit]D
Denmark: 18
Djibouti: 21
Dominica: 21
Dominican Republic: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age (members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote)
[edit]E
East Timor: 17
Ecuador: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18–65, optional for other eligible voters
Egypt: 18
El Salvador: 18
Equatorial Guinea: 18
Eritrea: 18
Estonia: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Ethiopia: 18
European Union: 18
[edit]F
Falkland Islands: 18
Faroe Islands: 18
Fiji: 21
Finland: 18
France: 18
French Guiana: 18
French Polynesia: 18
[edit]G
Gabon: 21
Gambia: 18
Georgia: 18
Germany: 18 (16 at state level in Bremen[56] and for municipal elections in the states of Bremen, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein [6/16])[4]
Ghana: 18
Gibraltar: 18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who have been residents six months or more
Greece: 18
Greenland: 18
Grenada: 18
Guadeloupe: 18
Guam: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Guatemala: 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)
Guernsey: 16[57]
Guinea: 18
Guinea-Bissau: 18
Guyana: 17 with adult
[edit]H
Haiti: 18
Honduras: 18
Hong Kong: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Hungary: 18
[edit]I
Iceland: 18
Israel: 18 (17 for municipal elections)
India: 18
Indonesia: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Iran: 18 (changed from 15 in 2007)[45]
Iraq: formerly 18 years of age; universal
Ireland: 18
Isle of Man: 16 (changed from 18 in 2006)
Italy: 18 (25 for Senate elections)
[edit]J
Jamaica: 18
Japan: 20
Jersey: 16
Jordan: 18
[edit]K
Kazakhstan: 18
Kenya: 18
Kiribati: 18
Korea, North: 17
Korea, South: 19
Kuwait: 21; males who are not in the military forces, and females (as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years; current proposal for reduction to 18[58]
Kyrgyzstan: 18
[edit]L
Laos: 18
Latvia: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Lebanon: currently 21 amended to 18 on 18/03/2009 and to take place starting 2013 parliamentary election (members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote)
Lesotho: 18
Liberia: 18
Libya: 18
Liechtenstein: 18
Lithuania: 18
Luxembourg: 18
[edit]M
Macau: direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Republic of Macedonia: 18
Madagascar: 18
Malawi: 18
Malaysia: 21
Maldives: 21
Mali: 18
Malta: 18
Marshall Islands: 18
Martinique: 18
Mauritania: 18
Mauritius: 18
Mayotte: 18
Mexico: 18
Micronesia, Federated States of: 18
Moldova: 18
Monaco: 18
Mongolia: 18
Montserrat: 18
Morocco: 18
Mozambique: 18
Myanmar (Burma): 18
[edit]N
Namibia: 18
Nauru: 20
Nepal: 18
Netherlands: 18
Netherlands Antilles: 18
New Caledonia: 18
New Zealand: 18
Nicaragua: 16
Niger: 18
Nigeria: 18
Niue: 18
Norfolk Island: 18
Northern Mariana Islands: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Norway: 18
[edit]O
Oman: 21, universal except for members of the military and police.
[edit]P
Pakistan: 18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Palau: 18
Panama: 18
Papua New Guinea: 18
Paraguay: 18
Peru: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; (members of the military and national police may not vote)
Philippines: 18 (16 for municipal elections and married persons)
Pitcairn Islands: 18 years of age; universal with three years' residency
Poland: 18
Portugal: 18
Puerto Rico: 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
[edit]Q
Qatar: 18
[edit]R
Réunion: 18
Romania: 18
Russia: 18
Rwanda: 18
[edit]S
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 18
Saint Lucia: 18
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 18
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18
Samoa: 21
San Marino: 18
Sao Tome and Principe: 18
Saudi Arabia: adult male citizens age 21 or older (voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through April 2005)
Senegal: 18
Serbia: 18
[59]
Seychelles: 17
Sierra Leone: 18
Singapore: 21
Slovakia: 18
Slovenia: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Solomon Islands: 21
Somalia: 18
South Africa: 18
Spain: 18
Sri Lanka: 18
Sudan: 17
Suriname: 18
Swaziland: 18
Sweden: 18
Switzerland: 18 (16 for cantonal and municipal elections in the canton of Glarus[49][50] [1/26])
Syria: 18
[edit]T
Taiwan (Republic of China): 20 (there is a current proposal to lower it to 17 from Taiwanese government)
Tajikistan: 18
Tanzania: 18
Thailand: 18 (compulsory)
Togo: 18
Tokelau: 21
Tonga: 21
Trinidad and Tobago: 18
Tunisia: 20
Turkey: 18
Turkmenistan: 18
Turks and Caicos Islands: 18
Tuvalu: 18
[edit]U
Uganda: 18
Ukraine: 18
United Arab Emirates: none[60]
United Kingdom: 18
United States: 18; however, in many states, persons 17 years of age are permitted to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 years of age on or before the day of the general election.
Uruguay: 18
Uzbekistan: 25
[edit]V
Vanuatu: 18
Venezuela: 18
Vietnam: 18
Virgin Islands of the United States: 18 years of age; universal; island residents are U.S. citizens but do not vote in U.S. presidential elections
[edit]W
Wallis and Futuna: 18
Western Sahara: none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed. The planned age is 18
[edit]Y
Yemen: 18
[edit]Z
Zambia: 18
Zimbabwe: 18
If you need to serve NS at 18, why can't you vote at 18?
Look at all these countries. All of them allow voting at 18.
Afghanistan: 18
Algeria: 18
American Samoa: 18
Andorra: 18
Angola: 18
Anguilla: 18
Antigua and Barbuda: 18
Argentina: 18
Armenia: 18
Aruba: 18
Australia: 18 (compulsory for all over 18, can enroll at 17)
Austria: 16[20](Except for European Parliament elections, which are 18)
Azerbaijan: 18
[edit]B
Bahamas: 18
Bahrain: 18
Bangladesh: 18
Barbados: 18
Belarus: 18
Belgium: 18
Belize: 18
Benin: 18
Bermuda: 18
Bhutan: each family has one vote in village-level elections; note — in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law
Bolivia: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 18
Botswana: 18
Brazil: 16 (mandatory suffrage from 18 to 70)
British Virgin Islands: 18
Brunei: no suffrage
Bulgaria: 18
Burkina Faso: 18
Burundi: 18
[edit]C
Cambodia: 18
Cameroon: 21
Canada: 18
Cape Verde: 18
Cayman Islands: 18
Central African Republic: 21
Chad: 18
Chile: 18
China, People's Republic of: 18
Colombia: 18
Comoros: 18
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 18
Congo, Republic of the: 18
Cook Islands: 18
Costa Rica: 18
Cote d'Ivoire: 18
Croatia: 18
Cuba: 16
Cyprus: 18
Czech Republic: 18
[edit]D
Denmark: 18
Djibouti: 21
Dominica: 21
Dominican Republic: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age (members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote)
[edit]E
East Timor: 17
Ecuador: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18–65, optional for other eligible voters
Egypt: 18
El Salvador: 18
Equatorial Guinea: 18
Eritrea: 18
Estonia: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Ethiopia: 18
European Union: 18
[edit]F
Falkland Islands: 18
Faroe Islands: 18
Fiji: 21
Finland: 18
France: 18
French Guiana: 18
French Polynesia: 18
[edit]G
Gabon: 21
Gambia: 18
Georgia: 18
Germany: 18 (16 at state level in Bremen[56] and for municipal elections in the states of Bremen, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein [6/16])[4]
Ghana: 18
Gibraltar: 18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who have been residents six months or more
Greece: 18
Greenland: 18
Grenada: 18
Guadeloupe: 18
Guam: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Guatemala: 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)
Guernsey: 16[57]
Guinea: 18
Guinea-Bissau: 18
Guyana: 17 with adult
[edit]H
Haiti: 18
Honduras: 18
Hong Kong: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Hungary: 18
[edit]I
Iceland: 18
Israel: 18 (17 for municipal elections)
India: 18
Indonesia: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Iran: 18 (changed from 15 in 2007)[45]
Iraq: formerly 18 years of age; universal
Ireland: 18
Isle of Man: 16 (changed from 18 in 2006)
Italy: 18 (25 for Senate elections)
[edit]J
Jamaica: 18
Japan: 20
Jersey: 16
Jordan: 18
[edit]K
Kazakhstan: 18
Kenya: 18
Kiribati: 18
Korea, North: 17
Korea, South: 19
Kuwait: 21; males who are not in the military forces, and females (as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years; current proposal for reduction to 18[58]
Kyrgyzstan: 18
[edit]L
Laos: 18
Latvia: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Lebanon: currently 21 amended to 18 on 18/03/2009 and to take place starting 2013 parliamentary election (members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote)
Lesotho: 18
Liberia: 18
Libya: 18
Liechtenstein: 18
Lithuania: 18
Luxembourg: 18
[edit]M
Macau: direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Republic of Macedonia: 18
Madagascar: 18
Malawi: 18
Malaysia: 21
Maldives: 21
Mali: 18
Malta: 18
Marshall Islands: 18
Martinique: 18
Mauritania: 18
Mauritius: 18
Mayotte: 18
Mexico: 18
Micronesia, Federated States of: 18
Moldova: 18
Monaco: 18
Mongolia: 18
Montserrat: 18
Morocco: 18
Mozambique: 18
Myanmar (Burma): 18
[edit]N
Namibia: 18
Nauru: 20
Nepal: 18
Netherlands: 18
Netherlands Antilles: 18
New Caledonia: 18
New Zealand: 18
Nicaragua: 16
Niger: 18
Nigeria: 18
Niue: 18
Norfolk Island: 18
Northern Mariana Islands: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Norway: 18
[edit]O
Oman: 21, universal except for members of the military and police.
[edit]P
Pakistan: 18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Palau: 18
Panama: 18
Papua New Guinea: 18
Paraguay: 18
Peru: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; (members of the military and national police may not vote)
Philippines: 18 (16 for municipal elections and married persons)
Pitcairn Islands: 18 years of age; universal with three years' residency
Poland: 18
Portugal: 18
Puerto Rico: 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
[edit]Q
Qatar: 18
[edit]R
Réunion: 18
Romania: 18
Russia: 18
Rwanda: 18
[edit]S
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 18
Saint Lucia: 18
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 18
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18
Samoa: 21
San Marino: 18
Sao Tome and Principe: 18
Saudi Arabia: adult male citizens age 21 or older (voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through April 2005)
Senegal: 18
Serbia: 18
[59]
Seychelles: 17
Sierra Leone: 18
Singapore: 21
Slovakia: 18
Slovenia: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Solomon Islands: 21
Somalia: 18
South Africa: 18
Spain: 18
Sri Lanka: 18
Sudan: 17
Suriname: 18
Swaziland: 18
Sweden: 18
Switzerland: 18 (16 for cantonal and municipal elections in the canton of Glarus[49][50] [1/26])
Syria: 18
[edit]T
Taiwan (Republic of China): 20 (there is a current proposal to lower it to 17 from Taiwanese government)
Tajikistan: 18
Tanzania: 18
Thailand: 18 (compulsory)
Togo: 18
Tokelau: 21
Tonga: 21
Trinidad and Tobago: 18
Tunisia: 20
Turkey: 18
Turkmenistan: 18
Turks and Caicos Islands: 18
Tuvalu: 18
[edit]U
Uganda: 18
Ukraine: 18
United Arab Emirates: none[60]
United Kingdom: 18
United States: 18; however, in many states, persons 17 years of age are permitted to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 years of age on or before the day of the general election.
Uruguay: 18
Uzbekistan: 25
[edit]V
Vanuatu: 18
Venezuela: 18
Vietnam: 18
Virgin Islands of the United States: 18 years of age; universal; island residents are U.S. citizens but do not vote in U.S. presidential elections
[edit]W
Wallis and Futuna: 18
Western Sahara: none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed. The planned age is 18
[edit]Y
Yemen: 18
[edit]Z
Zambia: 18
Zimbabwe: 18