[idi banashapan]

Hmmm… What’s interesting is that both of your points actually strengthen the argument that a minimum threshold of maturity and cognitive development should matter in voting. By highlighting how many adults vote emotionally, short-term, or without informed judgment, you’re agreeing, perhaps unknowingly, that this is a problem, not a justification to expand the age range to even less cognitively mature voters. Saying “adults don’t always get it right” doesn’t mean we should add more impulsive decision makers to the process. it suggests we should raise the standard, not lower it.

And while emotional milestones like birthdays may feel arbitrary, legal systems use age thresholds precisely because brain development doesn’t change overnight but it does change significantly across adolescence. Comparing someone with late-stage dementia to a teenager doesn’t prove capability, it simply underscores why maturity and mental competence should be essential for voting, regardless of age.