Would you be in favor of enacting a maximum age limit for elected US officials?

Yes (85%) – "Career politicians are part of the problem in our country and so many of those elected are vastly out of touch with the American people. They do not represent any side but their own best interests. Age limitations and term limits are a must to get things even remotely on the correct path for our country."

• "Age limits would allow for specific time transitions. The concerns of old thinking in a progressive society would be diminished by resetting of new generational leadership."

"To borrow a line from Hamilton, “If I say goodbye, the nation learns to move on. It outlives me when I’m gone.” Leadership was never meant to be permanent. When the same individuals remain in power for decades, progress can stall and fresh perspectives get crowded out. Our country thrives on innovation, new ideas, and the forward-thinking energy of younger generations who are ready to step up and lead. We recognize age limits in many areas of life for a reason, because over time, mental sharpness and physical stamina can naturally decline. Public service is demanding, and it requires the clarity, resilience, and adaptability to meet today’s challenges head-on. For the nation to keep moving forward, leadership must be willing to pass the torch."

• "Having watched my parents age, I realize that while they may be able to handle day to day activities...they were not able to handle critical thinking in a way that is advantageous to them or others."

"Because priorities change drastically once you reach retirement age. Elderly politicians are out of touch with the vast majority of Americans. If the federal government were truly a "representative" form of government it would be comprised of percentages of voting age groups that match the percentage of the same votage age groups in the general public. Meaning, if 20% of Americans are over the age of 60, then only 20% of politicians should be over the age of 60. If 20% of Americans are between 18-30, then 20% of politicians should be between the ages of 18-30. And so on. THAT would be a truly represenative government."

• "I think it should be a formula based on age + number of years served. I think that’s how the PO does it. In the military, I got a 50% retirement benefit after 20 years of service. And it went up a little bit every year after. But at 30 years of serving, most people are forced to retire. Military is a young person’s game. Federal service ought to have a formula that folks could use to decide whether to stay in congress or run for senator or president. But after say, 30 years, that’s plenty. Get out and go live your life."

"I favor more turnover in Congress. I think age caps AND term limits are necessary to start removing the entrenched power brokers and weaken the hold of special interests on lawmakers. I have to believe that if Representatives and Senators knew that they had a short window of opportunity to enact legislation that they might be more focused on the public good than whatever gets them campaign donations and reelection. The founders never envisioned serving in Congress as a career. It was a duty to be performed that took you away from your farm, business or profession and then you would return to that life. This idea should return to our thinking.""

No (9%) – "I would love to have voted yes. It seems like a maximum age limit for elected officials would solve a lot of problems, and it looks like it would be a nice balance against the minimum age limits (which I also don’t agree with). But ageism is something I cannot condone. Kind of like racism, sexism, and all the other bad -isms. Can they do the job they were elected to do? Okay then. Do they struggle with their responsibilities? Well then it seems we should figure out a way to evaluate these employees and if they don’t measure up, then let them go. Ever heard of a performance evaluation? If you’ve ever worked for a boss in America, chances are you have. I have. They were elected to do a job. If they can’t do the job, then they get fired. It’s literally the story of the working class’s lives. And if it works that way for us, then it should work that way for public servants."

Unsure/other (6%) – "I agree that there’s a problem with having so many older lawmakers but I don’t think the issue is necessarily their age. I think the issue is more their mental competency. My father is 70+ but he has no decline is his mental state. I don’t think setting a hard age limit is the best move, rather all lawmakers (regardless of age) should be subjected to a regular exam designed to evaluate their capacity."