At what age did you start voting?

[ImLawBoy]

I got to thinking about when people actually starting voting. My parents were voters and I was always interested in politics, so I voted as soon as I was able and vote every election. I'm hoping to instill those values in my kids (assuming, y'know, that we still have elections).

[LawBeefaroni]

Bush/Clinton/Perot.

[gilraen]

20s, because I wasn't a US citizen yet when I was 18.

(Yes, I was tempted to pick the "special snowflake" answer )

[Skinypupy]

I didn't pay any attention at all to politics until my late 20's.

Different era though. My 15 year old is remarkably well informed and I guaran-damn-tee she'll be voting when she turns 18 (if we still have elections at that point)

[Dramatist]

I wanted to vote for Bush #1 when I was 19. I even got lucky and got to see a rally for him with President Reagan. I was away at college and my mom and I didn’t know I could make it work so I had to wait until the next presidential election to cast a vote.


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[Holman]

18: The first vote I ever cast was for Michael Dukakis and against Newt Gingrich.

[Isgrimnur]

I'm a bicentennial baby, so I couldn't have voted presidentially until 20, and I was in the wrong state at 18.

[ImLawBoy]

I'm a bicentennial baby, so I couldn't have voted presidentially until 20, and I was in the wrong state at 18.

I'm going to change that to "first election eligible to vote", as that was really my intent.

[Blackhawk]

30s - I was completely unaware of politics when I was young. Politics meant 'change the channel.' OO got me to start paying attention, and the underhanded partisan crap wielded against Obama (and then blamed on him by calling him 'ineffective' for not doing what he wasn't allowed to do) was what finally made me wake up. I've voted in every election since.

[Kraken]

1976. I voted for Gerry Ford because he was a hometown boy and friend of the family. I was 19 y.o.

[dfs]

I was 18 in 1980 and cast a losing ballot for Jimmy Carter.

[Hyena]

I always hated politics; I thought anyone that seeks that much power should never be given it. I also swore that I'd never vote for "the lesser of two evils," and so the first time I ever voted was for Obama's first term in my mid-30's. The next time ever voted was this morning. And while I'm not going to say I agree with everything Harris and Walz stand for, I DAMN sure agree with them more than I do with the ochre ogre.

So far I'm batting 1000 on elections, let's hope that continues tonight. Plus I'm hoping to get Ted Cruz out of office, that sleazeball sack of ground up sloth meat.

[LordMortis]

18. Ron Paul in 88. I don't remember what else.

[msteelers]

I first voted in the Kerry/Bush election in '04. I would have been 21 at the time. Technically my first eligible election was the '02 midterms, but I'm pretty sure I didn't vote in that.

I've voted in every presidential election since, but I know I've missed a handful of midterms and special elections.

[Archinerd]

I don't think I voted in the first midterm I was eligible for, but I know I voted for Nader in the first presidential election I was eligible for.

[YellowKing]

I started at 18. My grandparents instilled in me the importance of voting, and I was going to the polls with them as young as I can remember. It was never a thought to not vote in at least the presidential election.

[WYBaugh]

I didn't until after college. But back then, you didn't have to worry that one the two candidates was a fascist piece of shit.

[Zarathud]

Voted in the Illinois governor election in 1990. Republican Jim Edgar barely edged out his opponent while Democratic incumbent Senator Simon only lost two counties — one of them where I grew up.

Happily voted against Bush and for Ross Perot in 1992. By the next election, it was clear that Democrats weren’t scary anymore. Except Tipper Gore. Parental advisory lyrics, my ass.

[coopasonic]

I registered to vote in October 2016 at 44 years of age. My 18yo son was registered shortly after his birthday. I sent him instructions on how to vote but he never responded and not having a car while 300 miles away at college, I am doubtful he even tried to get a ride or see if the campus had any transportation options. Since he wasn't at home he'd either have to send a request for a mail in ballot fairly early or go to the county election office near campus and get a provisional ballot which would only have state-wide and national elections.

[gbasden]

My first time voting was for Mondale in 84. It didn't go so well that election.

[Madmarcus]

As a fairly uninformed young guy I voted for Reagan in 84.

[Punisher]

First time voting, that I can remember, was 4 years ago when Trump ran against Biden.

[Eel Snave]

My first vote was when I was 31, but only because before that I was a Jehovah Witness.

[Apollo]

My first vote was for Libertarian candidates in 1986. Voted absentee for Bush in '88 while I was in the Navy, but it's been all Democrats ever since.

[Bad Demographic]

1976. I voted for Gerry Ford because he was a hometown boy and friend of the family. I was 19 y.o.

That's pretty cool.

For me, 1972. If I were 2 years younger, I still would have been able to vote in '72.
In retrospect, I think the major party choices then were pretty crappy.