As I was watching the midterm results roll in I just thought one voice was missing in the conversation, 16 year olds.
I believe that 16 year olds should be allowed to vote because establishing civic habits early creates lifelong voters and forces politicians to address youth issues.
As Mr. Tony Oldani notes two key advantages exist, “The first is we will likely increase the participation of young voters, get them in the practice of voting, have them in a place typically where polling is done so that they will have fewer excuses to engage in this civic process.”
Introducing voting while teenagers are anchored in their local communities empowers them to build routines that persist into adulthood.
Furthermore, lowering the voting age addresses the neglect of youth issues in policy.
Mr. Oldani states, “I think we have a political system right now that caters to an older and more affluent demographic, because those are the people that have the ability to get involved in the process.”
Allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote forces politicians to prioritize youth concerns.
Others may be concerned about maturity. Mr. John Burns, the AP COGPO teacher and summer US Government teacher argues that “at 16, you’re really concerned about today and what’s going on today, as opposed to societal, like big societal issues” and notes that many students”haven’t even completed the US government class yet.”
He cautions that 16-year-olds are participating in a system “they don’t have a lot of knowledge about” and questions if lowering the age creates an informed electorate.
Yes, some students are not informed as they should be to be able to vote, but only 59% to 65% of U.S. adults report having taken a civics or government class in high school.
And how many of those adults could even remember any of this as
However, waiting until age 18 a major transitional period often breeds apathy.
Voting at 16 allows high schools to integrate real world civic education directly into their curricula, ensuring students learn about institutions while actively participating.
Giving 16 year olds the right to vote ensures tomorrow’s leaders help shape today’s decisions.
