Podcast Summary: Youth Builders 52-03-19 Children's Round Table 3.3 - Voting Rights and Responsibilities

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: October 27, 2025
Topic: Young people's perspectives on voting rights, responsibilities, and the proper voting age
Duration (content): Approximately 12 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode from the classic Youth Builders series presents a lively round table of young people discussing the right to vote, the responsibilities that come with it, and debates about the appropriate voting age. Guided by a moderator and joined by a guest, Mrs. Sawyer, the group explores how citizenship, education, and personal experience inform voting rights, offering keen insight into how youth understand their evolving role in democracy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Voter Engagement and Responsibility

• Low Voter Turnout in Non-Presidential Years:
  • A political analyst notes that "the average citizen is vote conscious only when he feels that a question of momentous import to himself is involved." (00:30)
  • The analyst attributes government shortcomings to "indifference and carelessness on the part of the voters." (00:30-01:40)
• Moderator's Hope:
  • Encourages young people to translate these insights into their own lives and sense of civic duty. (01:40)

2. Should Voting Be Compulsory?

• Consensus Against Compulsion:
  • Patricia: "No, because they wouldn't pick the person they thought was right. They'd just say something I have to do, so I'll just go on and do it." (02:07)
  • Gaynell: "They should have enough sense to know that voting is very important and to choose which one they think is right." (02:25)
  • Vivian: "I don't feel that you should compel them to vote, but get them interested in voting and maybe they will feel up to them to vote." (02:48)
  • Gaynell: "You should not compel anyone to vote because it's not a democracy way." (02:33)
• Moderator's Conclusion:
  • Notes the group prefers encouraging interest over compulsion as the truly democratic approach. (02:58)

3. Debating the Voting Age: 18 vs. 21

• Arguments for Lowering the Age to 18:
  • Patricia: "If they are old enough to fight for their country, they're old enough to take [part in] who's gonna govern them." (03:32)
  • Vivian: Cites army enlistment at 17 with mother's permission but suggests 18 is appropriate for voting. (03:47-04:32)
  • Vivian: "I feel that the parents, when they reach 18, they should know something about the elections, if their parents have told them." (05:52)
• Arguments for Keeping 21:
  • Gaynell: Worries that at 18, youth may not know the rules or "have the brains enough to know who to vote for." (04:39)
  • Joan: Emphasizes greater understanding at 21; supports keeping the voting age as is. (04:59, 06:49)
  • Mrs. Sawyer: "At 18, a child has had very little training for elections, and...by the time they're 21, they have had a little more training...and they are then, I think, more prepared to vote." (07:06)
• Counterpoints from Youth:
  • Patricia: Insists education and surrounding influences prepare most 18-year-olds: "He ought to have brains enough to know things what's going around in the world." (05:15, 08:04)
  • Vivian: Sees parental guidance as vital preparation. (08:20)
  • Gaynell: Notes training for soldiers but questions equivalency for voters. (08:37-08:53)
• Consensus:
  • The group is divided, with strong opinions on both sides, but shows a willingness to listen and engage with opposing viewpoints.

4. How Are Youth Prepared for Voting?

• Sources of Education:
  • Gaynell: Suggests that books provide some "training," but acknowledges the challenges. (08:58)
  • Moderator/Vivian: Emphasize the role of schools in teaching current events and the mechanics of elections. (09:08, 09:21, 09:24)
• Civic Engagement at School:
  • Joan: Describes a school "citizen campaign," in which students identified and elected the "best citizen." (09:48-10:20)
  • Vivian: Details how a forum and citizenship questionnaires fostered discussion and involvement. (10:20-10:56)
  • Gaynell: Notes student elections for class positions as practical training in evaluating candidates. (11:04)

5. Impact of Youth Voting Experiences

• Positive School Changes:
  • Vivian: Reports "a great improvement in our school, in the school lunchrooms and in the classrooms too" after school elections. (11:54)
  • Patricia: Observes heightened motivation as more students hope to be named "best citizen." (12:14)
• Moderator's Takeaway:
  • Emphasizes that these activities illustrate young people learning to "think and act on their voting rights and responsibilities as citizens in our democracy." (12:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Compulsory Voting:
  • "You should not compel anyone to vote because it's not a democracy way." - Gaynell (02:33)
• On Age and Readiness:
  • "If they are old enough to fight for their country, they're old enough to take [part in] who's gonna govern them." - Patricia (03:32)
  • "At 18, a child has had very little training for elections...by the time they're 21, they are then, I think, more prepared to vote." - Mrs. Sawyer (07:06)
  • "When a person hits 18, he ought to have brains enough to know what's going around in the world." - Patricia (05:15)
• On the Importance of Education:
  • "You get a lot of training in school because they have current events..." - Patricia (09:21)
  • "While Joan didn't exactly begin from the beginning, of course, it all started in the youth building when we chose the topics of that term..." - Vivian (10:20)
• On Positive Effects of Civics Engagement:
  • "There's beginning to be a great improvement in our school, in the school lunchrooms and in the classrooms too." - Vivian (11:54)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30 - Political analyst on voter responsibility and turnout
• 01:40 - Discussion opens: compulsory voting
• 02:07 - Panelists on the dangers of compulsory voting
• 02:58 - Voting age debate begins
• 03:32 - Patricia: 18-year-olds deserve the vote
• 04:39–05:41 - Arguments on teenagers’ readiness to vote
• 06:32–07:42 - Mrs. Sawyer: Schools and experience at 21
• 09:48–11:28 - School-based civics activities and elections
• 11:54–12:25 - Reported improvements and increased motivation

Conclusion

This episode provides a fascinating window into mid-20th-century youth views on voting, blending earnest debate, generational wisdom, and concrete examples of early civic participation. The panel demonstrates lively disagreement but shares a collective sense that education, family, and school experience are essential in shaping responsible voters. Throughout, the tone is respectful, thoughtful, and optimistic about the contributions of young people to democracy.