Should 16 Year Olds Get To Vote?

In the wake of all of the ballot initiatives and new state laws trying to restrict access to voting, Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison has taken a different approach. He wants even more people to vote, and he’s advocating that teens as young as 16 deserve the right as well.

Via Fridley Patch, Ellison asked via Twitter, “Why shouldn’t 16-year-old vote? They can drive. Some have jobs. Let’s empower our youth…[C]ome on! 16-year-olds are pretty sharp…When is last time you talked to teens? They have their own views on things…I kicked it w(ith) bunch of kids yesterday, today. All were very smart (and) informed.”

Although there are a few countries like Ecuador, Cuba or Austria do allow 16 year-olds to vote, a majority of countries in the world have chosen either 18, or 21, as the legal voting age. The federal voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in the United States in 1971, primarily due to the concerns raised by older teens that they could be drafted to fight in a war, but not allow to vote on the politicians who waged them.

So should the voting age be lowered again, simply because of the more “grown up” responsibilities that Ellison claims today’s teens have taken on? With a draft no longer being enforced, is the 18 year old rule simply arbitrary now? And even better, should we make voting mandatory, as some countries do?

Tell us what you think in the comments.

Read more: keith ellison, voter access

Photo credit: wikimedia commons

quick poll

vote now!

Loading poll...

no!
leaning no
leaning yes
yes!

no!
leaning no
leaning yes
yes!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Patricia P.

5:20PM PST on Jan 22, 2012

The human brain is not fully developed in most people until mid-twenties. I realize that thewre are countless responsibilities imposed on people 18+, but their brains are not fully developed.

send a green star

Kimberly S.

4:28PM PST on Jan 22, 2012

I didn't have a clue what was going on in politics at 16....I really became more aware in my 30s and 40s....

Erin M.

8:07PM PST on Jan 20, 2012

when i was 16 I didn't care what was going on in politics. 16 year olds have their own worries, like school and grades and dates and clothes and figuring out who they are. Even if they did have the right to vote, there would only be a few who would do actual research on the candidates and issues they would be influencing. The rest would just be working with the hype they saw on t.v.

Charles T.

2:12PM PST on Jan 20, 2012

Rep Ellison is not by any means the brightest of even the admittedly dull folks we tend to elect to Congress but this highlights a lack of common sense (and maybe experience with teenagers to begin with?!)

Giving 18 years olds to vote had solid reasoning behind it as the article actually points out. There is NOTHING similar regarding 16 year olds. There is plenty enough anecdotal evidence to point out far too many people vote today based on petty reasoning such as color (solidest group of Obama supporters today support him because he looks like them), family voting record (my dad/mom voted has always voted x and so will I!), which candidate GIVES them the most freebies (corn farmers for ethanol subsidies, increased entitlements, higher taxes on OTHERS, unions for those who are pro government spending etc)....do we really want teens to enter into this equation with even more immature reasoning threads?

My guess is quite simply Rep Ellison has proposed nothing that even was worth getting out of committee these last few years and he wants some limelight. Obviously there is nothing constructive in this proposal.

Sherrie B.

9:45PM PST on Jan 19, 2012

When males turn 18 they are still required to register for a possible draft, so even though there is no longer a draft going on at this time, they are the ones who are putting their names in for the possible draft, so they still deserve to have the right to vote.

MD L.

3:18PM PST on Jan 19, 2012

"Just another way for Republicans to dumb down the voting public. They will try anything."

Actually statistically speaking, young people tend to vote liberal, almost twice as many people in the 17-29 age demographic favor Democrats over Republicans. Democrats would benefit far more if the voting age were lowered.

Kimberlee W.

2:58PM PST on Jan 19, 2012

OH - DEAR - GOD - - -

Just came back to check in and saw that I AGREED with {gasp, choke}
( ( ( ( ( JEFFREY ) ) ) )!!!!

Someone just kill me now

George B.

2:46PM PST on Jan 19, 2012

Just another way for Republicans to dumb down the voting public. They will try anything.

Hannah S.

6:47AM PST on Jan 19, 2012

there are so many adults of voting age incapable proper thinking. There are just way to many idiots in this country. and i think that people should actually have to take a test of some kind to prove they are not dumb. some people just take advantage of the fact that they are old enough to vote. and there are 16 year olds that are more intelligent than the people who do vote.

Marsha A.

6:27AM PST on Jan 19, 2012

Some of us are concerned about letting a 16 year old out of the house! :-)