Lowering the Voting Age - Top 3 Pros and

Cons

Friday, Nov. 2, 2018 | Author: ProCon.org | MORE

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Protestors at the youth-led March for Our Lives in Washington, DC, on Mar. 24, 2018
Source: Alison Durkee, "March for Our Lives Protests Spark Record-Breaking Day for Voter Registrations, Organize
From the 1990s to the present, elected officials in several US states have made unsuccessful attempts to lowe
younger. [1] Student activism in the wake of a Feb. 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoo
debate over letting younger people vote. [2]

Currently, Berkeley, California, and a handful of cities in Maryland allow 16-year-olds to participate in local
allow citizens to vote at age 16, sometimes with conditions such as being employed or married. [6]

A constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 16 would require approval from two-thirds of both ho
legislatures (38 states). [3] Alternatively, state legislatures could pass laws allowing younger people to vote in

Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16?

Pro 1 Con 1
16-year-olds are just as knowledgeable Kids under the age of
about civics and have the same ability to enough to participate
make good voting choices as older voters.A 16- and 17-year-olds demonstrate
political knowledge, and lack the e
study in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social
elections. [11][10][12]
Science found that, "On measures of civic knowledge, political skills,
political efficacy, and tolerance, 16-year-olds, on average, are
Social scientists Tak Wing Chan a
obtaining scores similar to those of adults… Adolescents in this age
17-year-olds wouldn't be competen
range are developmentally ready to vote." [7]
neuroscience suggests that the brai
is still undergoing major reconstru
Scientists believe that "cold cognition" skills, those used to make the
teenage years," and added that the
kind of informed, well-thought out choices needed in voting, are
to weigh dilemmas, balance trade-
solidly established in 16-year-olds. [8]
decisions in politics." [11]
Austria lowered the voting age to 16 in 2007. According to Markus
People under 18 are subject to diff
Wagner, social sciences professor at the University of Vienna, et al.,
responsibility laws, and aren't allo
studies of subsequent elections show "the quality of these [younger]
parental consent or serve on a jury
citizens' choices is similar to that of older voters, so they do cast votes
home and would be influenced by
in ways that enable their interests to be represented equally well." [9]
parents. [17]

Pro 2 Con 2
Lowering the voting age to 16 increases The 18-29 age group h
voter turnout and develops lifelong voting turnout numbers, sug
habits. The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates aren't ready to vote u
among developed countries. [18] A person who votes in one election has of 18-year-olds participated in the
a 13% greater probability of voting in a future election. [19] Researchers 42% of the general population. [27]
say that people who participate in elections when they first reach Elections Project's analysis of US
voting age are likely to develop the habit of voting, and those who eligible voters ages 18-29 voted in
don't are more likely to remain nonvoters. [20][21] for ages 30-44, 43% for 45-59, and
the last 30 years, voter turnout for
16-year-olds are learning about government and civics in high school, exceeded 21% in a midterm electio
and the structured environment would lead to higher turnout among 16-
and 17-year-olds as teachers and parents help them overcome typical Only 23% of students scored at or
obstacles for first-time voters, such as the registration process and last National Assessment of Educa
finding their polling places. [9][22][23] By contrast, many 18-year-olds knowledge and skills. [31]
are in a time of transition, making them less likely to participate in
elections. [21][23] David Davenport, research fellow
concern is if 16-year-olds were all
Involving young people in voting can have a "trickle up" effect that scale, what we'd actually be doing
mobilizes their parents and other adults in their households to vote, informed, the least politically expe
increasing the overall voter turnout rate. [24][25] Turnout among 16- and making long-term judgments and t
17-year-olds in Takoma Park, Maryland, the first US municipality to potentially affecting our voter turn
lower the voting age for local elections, was double that of eligible
voters 18 and older. [26]

Pro 3 Con 3
At age 16, people should have a voice in the The vast majority of A
laws that affect their lives and a stake in the and political views ag
future of their country. A US Senate report cited student should not be given th
activism and protests as reasons for lowering the voting age to 18 in the from The Atlantic and the Public R
1970s during the Vietnam War: "We must channel these energies into 81% of Americans oppose lowerin
our political system and give young people the real opportunity to 16% in favor. Only 19% of young
influence our society in a peaceful and constructive manner." [33] of seniors. Among Democrats, 25%
lowered; support among Republica
Students today live under threats to their futures such as school
shootings and climate change, and they deserve to have influence over A different survey found 8% supp
their elected officials beyond the protests they've organized. [34] Sofie 45% want to keep it at 18; and 46%
Whitney, a survivor of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, says, 21. [40]
"If 16-year-old students are old enough to be affected by the laws, and
realize that there is a problem, then they should have the power to help A Twitter poll by WJLA, the ABC
change it." [35] found just 18% support for a propo
16 in the District of Columbia, com
The age of 16 is when people's relationship with the law changes as NBC news affiliate ran a similar p
they often start driving, working, and paying taxes. [36][37] 16-year-olds participants were against the bill. [
can be emancipated from their parents and live independently in most
states. [38]

The DC City Council had considered legislation that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds in the nation's capital
2020 presidential election, but they tabled the bill indefinitely after losing support from council members. [5]

Until the 1970s, the voting age in America was 21. [43] A debate over lowering it to 18 began during World W
Roosevelt decreased the military draft age to 18. [44] President Eisenhower called for citizens ages 18 to 21 to
his 1954 State of the Union address. [44] But lawmakers didn't take action until marches and demonstrations d
people who were being drafted to fight in Vietnam didn't have the ability to vote in most states. [43]

Congress proposed the 26th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1971, which stated, "The right of citizens o
years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account o
which required approval from 38 states, was completed in around three months, the shortest amount of time o