By: Marianne Chan | Voting |
Recently, the Vermont town of Brattleboro granted its 16- and 17-year-old residents the right to vote in local elections, the latest to do so in the United States.
California should follow suit and lower the voting age for its own residents. Many teenagers across our state (and the nation) hold their own political views, yet cannot use votes to act on topics they care about.
It is patently unfair to withhold the right to vote in elections from US citizens aged 16 and 17 on the basis of age or the possibility of low voter turnout. Research shows that low voter turnout is not indicative of low involvement in political matters. Many teenagers take part in political campaigns and advocacy and some are even elected to office, according to the National Youth Rights Association.
Moreover, voter turnout among registered voters under 18 is reportedly higher than those in older age groups. Voters under 18 in Takoma Park, Maryland had a turnout rate four times higher than voters over 18 in 2013 and registered 16- and 17-year-old voters had a higher turnout out rate than older voters in Hyattsville, Maryland. In 2014, seventeen-year-olds also had a higher turnout rate than 20- to 50-year-olds in the Chicago Primary.
Outside of the United States, 16- to 17-year-olds had a higher turnout rate than older voters under age 30 in Norway’s 2011 elections, voters under 35 in Scotland’s 2014 referendum election and voters aged 18-20 in Austria’s elections in 2011 and 2014, according to the National Youth Rights Association.
While 16- and 17-year-old California residents currently have the option to pre-register for voting, they are still unable to vote unless they turn 18 by the general election, according to Public Broadcasting Service.
With the upcoming presidential election, it is more important than ever for California lawmakers to pass legislation addressing the dearth of younger voters in our democracy.
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