My preferred method is to weight votes according to age: voters below, say, 30 would receive a more heavily weighted vote, voters 30 to 60 would get a less weighted vote, and those over 60 would retain their current single vote. For argument’s sake, you could multiply the vote of under-30s by 1.3 and that of 30- to 60-year-olds by 1.1. People’s ballot papers could be distinguished by colour – under-30s get blue, 30s to 60s green and oldies red – to make counting easier on election night.
I am really concerned that society being what it is now, with so many life-related systems compromised by inequitable access to wealth, oligarchical and other types of undemocratic rule, unhealthy food, mind-controlling and body-affecting technology, pollution, etc, etc., we may be in for ever-growing levels of cognitive decline at earlier ages accompanied by growing levels of neurodivergent conditions in children as well as mental health problems in general. We really need to concentrate on the causes of growing unhealth and stick together, not let the system make us more defensive and isolated. Know the real enemy.
We are also in a period where we can acknowledge that people exist on a spectrum and people change. My youngest son has ADHD, we got him treatment, support and flexible learning arrangements that mean 99.9% of the time he can be a “regular” kid with a “regular” life. When I was his age it was just drug them, pack them into the special class and forget about them. As much as I agree with your sentiment we do live in slightly enlightened times.
We assume elderly people are going to struggle with people taking advantage of them in so many other aspects of life, why do we let the media and politicians get away with it?
To be clear, I am not advocating for stripping anyone’s rights, or giving them a lessened voting weight. I don’t actually have a solution. I just think it’s the sort of thing a mature democracy would be able to discuss in good faith. Instead we get to be told about how much privacy and personal sovereignty we want to sacrifice in the name of “won’t somebody think of the children”.
Yes, you are right. There certainly is a deeper and growing understanding of neurodivergence and I am happy for you that your boy is being treated as he should be. I’ve often wondered if I have some neurodivergence myself.
And I also agree with your other ppints.