Democracy’s Next Step: Lowering the Voting Age to 16?
To vote in the United States, citizens must be at least 18 years old. Americans who have reached this coveted age of majority can thank the 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, for their right to choose political representatives. But should the voting age be lowered once more, perhaps to 16 years? We examine the facts.
Arguments For Lowering The Voting Age
Proponents of lowering the voting age argue that 16 and 17-year-olds aren’t very different than American adults, at least when it comes to knowledge of civics. On average, 16-year-olds receive similar scores on civics tests as adults, showing that these adolescents are “developmentally ready to vote.” Lowering the voting age would also substantially increase total turnout among young Americans, a group notorious for skipping out on Election Day. Proponents also lay out the following argument - if 16-year-olds are affected by laws, they should be able to change them. As a Senate report on Vietnam War protests :
We must channel these energies into our political system and give young people the real opportunity to influence our society in a peaceful and constructive manner.
Arguments For Maintaining The Voting Age
Opponents of lowering the voting age argue that 16 and 17-year-olds are just not knowledgeable or eager enough to vote. 16 and 17-year-olds “demonstrate lower interest in politics, have less political knowledge, and lack the experience needed to participate in elections.” The very low turnout numbers of their immediate seniors aged 18-29 provide further evidence for maintaining the voting age - only 27% of youth (ages 18-29) cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections. This suggests that those aged 16 and 17 are not ready or willing to vote, even if they were given the opportunity. Lastly, opponents of lowering the voting age argue that the vast majority of Americans simply do not want the voting age to be lowered. A 2019 Hill-HarrisX poll found that 84% of registered voters opposed lowering the voting age to 16.
