
Want to save American democracy? Let teens vote.
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Los Angeles Times
19 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit
EDINBURGH, Scotland — President Trump played golf Saturday at his course on Scotland's coast while protesters around the country took to the streets to decry his visit and accuse United Kingdom leaders of pandering to the unpopular American president. Trump and his son Eric played with the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, near Turnberry, a historic course that the Trump family's company took over in 2014. Security was tight, and protesters kept at a distance were unseen by the group during Trump's round. He was dressed in black with a white 'USA' cap and was spotted driving a golf cart. The president appeared to play an opening nine holes, stop for lunch, then head out for nine more. By the middle of the afternoon, plainclothes security officials began leaving, suggesting Trump was done for the day. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the cobblestone and tree-lined street in front of the U.S. Consulate about 100 miles away in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital. Speakers told the crowd that Trump was not welcome and criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff U.S. tariffs on goods imported from the U.K. Protests were planned in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a 'Stop Trump Coalition.' Anita Bhadani, an organizer, said the protests were 'kind of like a carnival of resistance.' June Osbourne, 52, a photographer and photo historian from Edinburgh, wore a red cloak and white hood, recalling 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Osbourne held up a picture of Trump with 'Resist' stamped over his face. 'I think there are far too many countries that are feeling the pressure of Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him, and we should not accept him here,' Osbourne said. The dual U.S.-British citizen said the Republican president was 'the worst thing that has happened to the world, the U.S., in decades.' Trump's late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, and the president has suggested he feels at home in the country. But the protesters did their best to change that. 'I don't think I could just stand by and not do anything,' said Amy White, 15, of Edinburgh, who attended with her parents. She held a cardboard sign that said, 'We don't negotiate with fascists.' 'So many people here loathe him,' she said. 'We're not divided. We're not divided by religion, or race or political allegiance, we're just here together because we hate him.' Other demonstrators held signs of pictures with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as the fervor over files in the late child abuser's case has created a political crisis for the president. In the view of Mark Gorman, 63, of Edinburgh, 'The vast majority of Scots have this sort of feeling about Trump that, even though he has Scottish roots, he's a disgrace.' Gorman, who works in advertising, said he came out 'because I have deep disdain for Donald Trump and everything that he stands for.' A Scottish newspaper, the National, greeted Trump's arrival with a banner headline in its Friday edition that read, 'Convicted U.S. felon to arrive in Scotland.' Saturday's protests were not nearly as large as the throngs that demonstrated across Scotland when Trump played at Turnberry during his first term in 2018. But, as bagpipes played, people chanted, 'Trump out!' and raised dozens of homemade signs with such messages as 'No red carpet for dictators,' 'We don't want you here' and 'Stop Trump. Migrants welcome.' One dog had a sign attached that said 'No treats for tyrants.' Some on the far right took to social media to call for gatherings supporting Trump in places such as Glasgow. Trump also plans to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. But golf is a major focus. The family will also visit another Trump course near Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland, before returning to Washington on Tuesday. The Trumps will cut the ribbon and play a new, second course in that area, which officially opens to the public next month. Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who is also set to meet with Trump during the visit, announced that public money will go to staging the 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known previously as the Scottish Championship, at Trump's first course near Aberdeen next month. 'The Scottish government recognizes the importance and benefits of golf and golf events, including boosting tourism and our economy,' Swinney said. At a protest Saturday in Aberdeen, Scottish Parliament member Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: 'We stand in solidarity, not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for.' The president has long lobbied for Turnberry to host the British Open, which it has not done since he took over ownership. In a social media post Saturday, Trump quoted the retired golfer Gary Player as saying Turnberry was among the 'Top Five Greatest Golf Courses' he had played in as a professional. The president, in the post, misspelled the city where his golf course is. Weissert writes for the Associated Press.


Chicago Tribune
19 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next
WASHINGTON — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process. Here's what could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in a case that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein's death in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting. Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena. The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing 'un-redacted Epstein files.' As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter. Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that 'Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that's what the American people want.' Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison in Florida where she is serving a lengthy sentence for child sex trafficking. In a congressional deposition, the subject typically has an attorney present to help them answer — or not answer — questions while maintaining their civil rights. Subjects also have the ability to decline to answer questions if it could be used against them in a criminal case, though in this instance that might not matter because Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about. Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week. Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted. 'We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,' Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week. Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush. It's not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, 'We're going to move quickly on that.' Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information. Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Law School and is a partner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of the subpoena 'depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position.' If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi's response — or if she were to refuse to hand over any information — there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress. It's practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP. Ultimately, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to disclose the files. Politics, policy and the law are all bound up together in this case, and many in Congress want to see a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation. 'We can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,' said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member. The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files.


UPI
20 minutes ago
- UPI
Britain, France, Germany call for end to Gaza war as death toll climbs
1 of 3 | Britain, France and Germany are calling for an immediate end Israel's war in Gaza, after dozens of people were killed over a 24-hour period in the Palestinian enclave. Photo by Mahmoud Issa/UPI | License Photo July 26 (UPI) -- Britain, France and Germany are calling for an immediate end to fighting in Gaza after dozens of people were killed over a 24-hour period in the Palestinian enclave. At least 57 people died in Gaza, the Palestinian News Agency reported Saturday, including those killed by airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military. An infant also died from starvation in Gaza, with aid to the territory largely halted. On Friday, Israel said it would give permission to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan to drop aid into Gaza by air. Approximately 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza while waiting for food to be delivered, the United Nations said earlier this week. "The humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza must end now. The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay. Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," Britain, France and Germany said in the joint statement, while calling for an "immediate ceasefire" and "unconditional release of all hostages." French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said his country would officially recognize a Palestinian state. "We firmly oppose all efforts to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Threats of annexation, settlements and acts of settler violence against Palestinians undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution," the joint statement from Britain, Germany and France reads. "We are committed to working together with our international partners, including at the United Nations, to develop a specific and credible plan for the next phase in Gaza that will put in place transitional governance and security arrangements, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid at scale." The statement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Friday at the White House that Hamas "didn't really want to make a deal" when asked about the possibility of a ceasefire. Trump spoke to reporters before leaving on a four-day trip to Scotland where he will talk trade with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die," Trump told reporters Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is "considering alternative options" in the absence of a ceasefire agreement to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Earlier in the week, 29 countries issued a joint statement condemning the conflict, saying it had "reached new depths," while calling for an immediate end.