Want to save American democracy? Let teens vote.

USA Today

5 days ago

Across the country, a growing movement led by young people is calling for cities and states to lower the voting age to 16 in local, state and school board elections.
In a moment when the foundations of American democracy are under strain, when civic trust is eroding and polarization is deepening, one powerful act of democratic innovation is hiding in plain sight. We need to lower the voting age to 16.
Zohran Mamdani's recent win in the New York City Democratic primary for mayor, mainly driven by young people, provides a source of inspiration for that type of reform. So does the British government's decision to lower the voting age to 16 before the United Kingdom's next general election.
Sixteen- and 17-year-olds already contribute in meaningful ways to our society. They work jobs, pay taxes and, in many cases, help support their families.
They are organizers, caretakers and changemakers. Yet, despite being affected by policy decisions ranging from school funding to climate action to gun safety, they remain locked out of the most fundamental mechanism of democratic participation, the right to vote.
It's time to change that.
Across the country, a growing movement led by young people is calling for cities and states to lower the voting age to 16 in local, state and school board elections.
At Vote16USA, we support this youth-led push to make our democracy more just, representative and resilient. When we empower youth to have a say in their communities, we fortify our democratic future.
Opinion: Zohran Mamdani rallied Gen Z voters. We can't abandon him now.
Research shows younger people are ready to vote
Research shows that 16-year-olds are ready to vote. Studies in developmental psychology, including those published by the American Psychological Association, demonstrate that 16-year-olds possess the cognitive maturity − the 'cold cognition' − required to make informed decisions in structured settings like the voting booth.
What's more, 16 and 17 are ideal ages to begin voting. At this stage in life, many young people live in stable home environments, attend school and are surrounded by supportive adults. These conditions make them more likely to adopt voting as a habit, and the earlier the habit is formed, the more likely it is to persist.
In contrast, many 18-year-olds cast their first ballots while in that destabilizing transition to college or work, often without the support systems that reinforce civic participation. We don't question the logic of teaching civics in high school, so why not allow students to practice it meaningfully by voting?
Give teens voice in elections: Why we should lower the voting age to 16 for federal elections | Opinion
In places where the voting age has already been lowered, like Takoma Park and Hyattsville, Maryland, 16- and 17-year-olds have voted at higher rates than older adults.
Even before they can vote, young people are already leading. From organizing school walkouts for climate justice to testifying at statehouses for racial equity and mental health resources, youth are showing they have both the interest and the understanding to influence policy.
Lowering the voting age gives them the recognition and the voice they deserve.
US has long history of increasing voter eligibility
Historically, our democracy has welcomed more eligible voters. From the expansion of suffrage to women and Black Americans to the Voting Rights Act and beyond, we have moved toward greater inclusion. Lowering the voting age continues that arc toward justice.
Some worry that young people will just vote like their parents. But data from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement show that young people are more likely to develop their own political views with influence from school, peers and independent media.
As to the question about whether younger voters would participate, turnout is not about age, it's about access, support and civic culture.
Opinion: Gen Z's declining patriotism worries me. Partisanship shouldn't define us.
We live in a time of democratic fragility. Attacks on voting rights, polarization and institutional distrust have made it clear: democracy cannot coast on inertia.
We need bold, proven interventions to restore civic faith. Lowering the voting age is just that.
It doesn't require new technology or costly overhauls. It's an idea already proven in jurisdictions across the U.S. and globally, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil and parts of Germany.
Momentum is growing here. In recent years Berkeley and Oakland, California, have passed measures to lower the voting age in school board elections. In 2024, Newark, New Jersey became the first city in the state to allow 16-year-olds to vote in local school board races.
State legislators in New York, Minnesota, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, Washington D.C., Maine and elsewhere have introduced legislation to follow suit.
Lowering the voting age is a call to trust young people with democracy and to rebuild democracy from the ground up − for all of us.
LaJuan Allen is the executive director of Vote16USA, which supports youth-led efforts to lower the voting age in local, state and federal elections.