In my opinion, I believe that the U.S. should keep the voting age at 18. The first reason for this is because I think that political socialization takes time, and most 16 year olds are still forming their views and rely heavily on their parents and the media. The second reason is that voting requires a certain level of knowledge, and many high school students have not yet completed courses like U.S. Gov, basic histories, or economics. Not having taken these classes is not good for a high school student whose vote counts just as much as anyone else’s. Finally, age 18 is already the legal threshold for many rights and responsibilities, such as military service and signing contracts, so it makes sense to align voting with these rights.
Some argue that lowering the voting age would increase civic participation by building good habits early. While participation is important, research shows that voter turnout is influenced more by factors like education and registration access than simply age. If the goal is stronger turnout, improving civic education and voter access at 18 is more effective than lowering the age to 16. For these reasons, I think that it is in America’s best interest to keep the voting age at 18.
