Teenagers Push for Change in Voting Age

“In January, Newark’s City Council voted to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local school board races. Supporters hope that the ordinance marks the start of a statewide and national movement,” The New York Times said.

It has become a popular debate whether 16- and 17-year-olds should have the right to vote. While some people say that they’re ready for the responsibility, others say that they don’t have enough understanding of the foundations of government to influence elections.

“In 2013, Takoma Park, Md., a 17,000-person suburb of Washington, became the nation’s first city to let 16-year-olds vote in local elections. Last year, Brattleboro, Vt., lowered its voting age to 16,” the New York Times said.

People who are going along with this new possibility state that lowering the voting age can lead to a long-term increase in voter turnout. This can help bring citizens more in touch with the current events of their government, which in turn, can help them better serve its people.

“Youth are affected by local political issues as much as anyone. They also work without limits on hours and pay taxes in their income, can drive in most states, and in some cases, are tried in adult courts. 16- and 17-year-olds deserve the right to vote on issues that affect them on the local level,” Vote16USA said.

On the contrary, people are claiming that teenagers aren’t ready to bear the responsibility of voting on important matters.

According to the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress civics assessment, most teens don’t have enough of a basic understanding of how government works–Less than half of eighth-graders are proficient in civics.

“Research has found that young people’s brains fully develop at a later age than scientists had once thought. That has led many states to increase the age at which teens can do certain activities. If teens’ brains aren’t developed enough for them to handle those other responsibilities, they aren’t ready for voting either,” Scholastic said.

However, changes throughout the United States have already been made to help push down the age limit.

“Some teens think the current voting age is unfair–and they’re pushing for change. Their efforts have succeeded in a handful of US cities. For example, Barkley, California, and Takoma Park, Maryland, both let 16-year-olds vote in local elections,” Scholastic said.