Every single time America has expanded the right to vote, skeptics warned that the change would prove too radical. And every single time, those warnings proved wrong — like when women won suffrage in 1920, when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 toppled Jim Crow barriers, and when 18-year-olds were enfranchised in 1971 by the 26th Amendment.
Even though history shows us that broadening democracy has always strengthened our nation, the same doubts are still being cast on 16 and 17-year-olds. Cutting the voting age down to 16 isn’t a radical experiment, but rather the logical next step in the American tradition of expanding democratic rights.
Just as past generations overcame their fears to entrust the ballot to those once excluded, we now face the question of whether young people who drive, work, pay taxes, and follow the laws of this land should continue to be denied a voice in shaping them. Evidence from American history and other democracies suggests that including them would not only be fair, but it would also make American democracy stronger.
We don’t have to speculate as to what might happen if 16 and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote. Other countries have already shown us.
Austria lowered its voting age to 16 in 2007, and subsequent studies done by respected political scientists from the University of Vienna found that teenagers voted at rates comparable to 18 to 20-year-olds and made choices of similar quality as well.
Scotland also enfranchised 16-year-olds for its 2014 independence referendum, and turnout among these new voters was impressive, with many reporting it made them feel more invested in politics going forward, according to a study done by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
In July of this year, it was announced that the UK government plans to allow 16-year-olds to vote in all elections. Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador have long allowed 16-year-olds to cast ballots, embedding civic participation earlier in life. All these examples prove that when young people are given the opportunity, they will rise to the responsibility.
However, the American system delays this until 18 — often when young adults are going through major changes in their lives, like leaving home, starting work, and attending college. Unsurprisingly, 18 to 29- year-olds have historically had lower turnout compared to older groups. For example, only about 50% of this age group voted in the 2020 presidential election, compared to almost 75% of those over 65, according to U.S. Census data.
Research in political science consistently shows that voting is a habit. Those who vote when they’re first eligible are much more likely to remain consistent voters. Enfranchising citizens while they are still rooted in high schools and local communities, with structures for civic education and registration, is a powerful way to establish lifelong engagement.
Many argue that 16-year-olds lack the maturity to make informed decisions or that they are too easily swayed by parents, teachers, or social media. Yet these arguments mirror those once made against every new group of voters in American history.
Moreover, maturity is not something we enforce consistently: 16-year-olds in most states can drive, work, and pay taxes, and some are even tried as adults in the criminal justice system. At 17, people can enlist in the military with parental consent. If society deems them responsible enough for those duties, it is inconsistent to deny them representation in the democratic process.
To be clear, lowering the voting age should not be done in isolation. It must be combined with civic education, voter education, and safeguards against disinformation. But those are issues of policy design — not valid reasons to keep the next generation on the sidelines. When enfranchised, young people have demonstrated interest and competence, and the act of voting itself has deepened their connection to democracy.
The United States has never regretted expanding the right to vote. Including 16 and 17-year-olds would continue that legacy, allowing new voices to have an impact on the issues that will affect them for decades to come, from climate change and education to economic opportunity and social justice.