Why Teens Should Be Allowed To Vote
Image depicting 16-year-olds voting.
Have you ever wondered why some American laws don’t seem to make any sense? For example, a 16-year-old can drive a car, get a job, and can even go to college, but they can’t vote. Well, I feel that people under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote! The first reason for that is, the United States fails at following the right to vote amendments because even though people can not be segregated from voting because of their race, sex, or age, you can’t vote under the age 18. Another reason I have is that younger people in our society would make good voters, since they have shown great interest in voting. The final reason that I have is, citizens under the age of 18 are already participating in and showing interest in politics.
The first reason is, the United States fails at following the right to vote amendments because even though people can not be segregated from voting because of their race, sex, or age. You can’t vote under the age 18. According to the US Constituition, specifically the 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments declare that a persons right to vote cannot be abridged by race, color, previous servitude, sex, or age. This means that the whole voting age policy is unconstitutional and abridges young people the right to vote because of their age. Some people might argue that we can’t give everybody the right to vote, because a little kid isn’t quite smart enough to understand the whole voting process, and I totally agree with that, but I believe at least a 16 year old should be able to vote. So, we should consider lowering the age a couple of years to sixteen, because if we can trust them with a driver’s license, we can trust them to vote.
Another reason is that younger people in our society would make good voters, they have shown great interest in voting. According to an article by Patricia Hart for PromoteOurVote.com, there was a significantly larger turnout of young voters over older voters in Takoma Park, Maryland when the city lowered the voting age to 16 and up. Only 8.5% of eligible voters 18 and older voted vs 17% of eligible voters under 18. This shows that if given the chance, eligible voters under the age of 18 will vote. And in much higher voting rates than eligible voters older than age 18.
The final reason is, citizens under the age of 18 are already participating in and showing interest in politics. Two teenagers, Zach Hall 17 and Payden Hall 15, created their own political action committee called Do Hard Things 2010. The committee already has it’s own website which attempts to persuade young conservatives to be more active in politics. This is evidence that younger people are taking action and do care about politics. And they also participate in political action committees and campaigns. The laws and bills being voted on by adults of this country also affect the lives of the younger population.
To conclude this story, I believe that people under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote. There are 3 reasons that I believe that support this statement, the first reason is, the United States fails at following the right to vote amendments because even though people can not be segregated from voting because of their race, sex, or age, people can’t vote under the age 18. The second reason is that younger people in our society would make good voters, they have shown great interest in voting. The final reason is, citizens under the age of 18 are already participating in and showing interest in politics. So get out there! Make your voice be heard and fight for your rights. For more information about lowering the voting age, visit these websites.
