It’s a presidential election year. When it comes to national elections, should teens younger than 18 be able to vote? In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18. Recently lawmakers have proposed lowering it to 16. In Newark, New Jersey, teens as young as 16 can already vote in local school board elections. People in favor of a lower voting age believe that teens should have a say on national issues. But critics say that 16- and 17-year-olds are not prepared to weigh in on policy decisions. What do you think? Should the voting age be lowered?
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Student View
Should the Voting Age Be Lowered?
Yes
Yes, 16- and 17-year-olds should definitely be able to have a say in policies that directly affect us. I’ve participated in a lot of classroom political discussions over the years, and I’m well-informed about current events. Furthermore, 16- and 17-year-olds are the best advocates for the interests of young children. Teens understand the issues facing kids. We can reflect on our recent childhood experiences in considering policy decisions that affect people our age and younger. Adults are less capable of relating to the issues facing youth, since they were raised in a vastly different digital and educational landscape. A democracy is supposed to value a wide variety of perspectives. As older teens, our hopes and needs are extremely relevant to the society we’re stepping into. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to vote?
—Grace Huang, Wisconsin
No
No, the current voting age is right where it should be. As teens, we lack the worldly experience that adults have. We have not dealt with taxes, economic policies, and social issues that mainly affect older generations, so it would not be possible for us to make informed decisions on these matters. In addition, teens are vulnerable to peer pressure and other external influences like celebrities and trends that can affect our opinions. Instead of lowering the voting age, there are other ways we could increase teen political engagement. For example, schools could start teaching students how to spot politically biased messaging in the media so that we know how to avoid being influenced by it. That would make us more likely to be thoughtful, well-informed voters when we become adults.
—Vineet Petlur, California
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Should younger teens be allowed to vote?
Should younger teens be allowed to vote?
Should younger teens be allowed to vote?
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