It was only fifty years ago that my grandparents supported the campaign for the voting age to be lowered from 21 to 18. 

The 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971, after more than a decade of activism and social change. One of the primary arguments for lowering the voting age at the time was that if 18-year-olds could be drafted during the Vietnam War, they deserved the right to vote. If a young person could be forced to go fight overseas and risk their life, didn’t they deserve a voice in that decision? In this country, we often make our voice known by voting.

Citizens having a voice is one of the most important things in a democracy. Why not further that by lowering the voting age again to 16?

Political issues affect 16- and 17-year-olds just like adults. 16- and 17-year-olds can work at jobs, pay taxes, drive places, and are affected by issues like climate change and healthcare just as much as adults are. On long-term political issues such as climate change and infrastructure, young Americans are even more impacted than older Americans, as they will have to live the rest of their lives with the results of the decisions we make today. The lives of young Americans are directly impacted by legislation and they should be allowed to vote for their representatives. Young people deserve a say in the laws that affect them and the future of the United States.

Some people may argue that people under 18 are not well-informed enough to participate in the democratic process. However, 16- and 17-year-olds are just as knowledgeable about politics as adults are, with a 2010 study showing that “[o]n measures of civic knowledge, political skills, political efficacy, and tolerance, the 16-year-olds, on average, are obtaining scores similar to those of adults. […] There is little empirical reason to award the vote to 18-year-olds but to deny it to 16-year-olds. […] Adolescents in this age range are developmentally ready to vote.”

Lowering the voting age to 16 isn’t an unprecedented or brand new idea either. Several places already have a voting age of 16, including Austria and some local elections in the US.

Lowering the voting age to 16 also helps make voting a habit and strengthens high school civics education.  With big issues such as climate change and a weakening infrastructure, civic engagement is more important than ever for this younger generation. One goal of a democracy should be to create an educated, informed public who is eager to engage in civic life so that all people can be heard and served. Lowering the voting age to 16 is one step towards this goal.