I believe the voting age should be lowered to 16 in the United States. First, allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote would help build voting as a habit early on in people’s lives. Studies suggest that younger first-time voters tend to stay engaged longer. Second, many 16-year-olds already have responsibilities where they work, pay taxes, and are affected by laws and public policy. Therefore, this should allow them to have a voice on who they want to be elected as this will affect them in their work. Third, it can help the younger generations to be connected with politics, allowing youth voices to be heard.
However, many can argue that 16-year-olds are not mature enough to form beliefs on candidates that they should vote for. But that claim ignores the fact that many adults also vote with limited information or vote for a candidate based on their emotions towards the candidate. Also, 16-year-olds who are working and paying taxes show the trust people have in them to be responsible. Lowering the voting age to 16 will allow us to strengthen democracy by expanding and influencing the number of young people who are voting between the ages of 18-29. The voting age should be lowered to 16 rather than the current age of 18.
