Old Enough to Vote?

Like many conservatives, David Sharyan says he’s worried about inflation, the economy, and the southern border. But he’s also annoyed that he can’t do anything about those issues at the ballot box.

“I get taxed,” David says. “But I don’t get a voice in my representation.”

There’s a reason for that: David is 17, a high school senior who lives outside Portland, Oregon, and works as a host at a Mexican restaurant. He’s also the chair of the High School Republican National Federation and a proponent of lowering the voting age—an idea that’s gaining new visibility since the United Kingdom announced its intention in July to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.

While such a nationwide change would face an uphill battle in the United States, where any alteration to the voting age would require a constitutional amendment, more than a dozen cities have opened the door to young voters in some elections, with momentum seemingly growing.

Last November, voters in Albany, California, overwhelmingly passed a measure lowering the voting age to 16 for local and school district elections. Two months later, lawmakers in Newark, New Jersey, passed legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections. College Park, Maryland, approved younger voting in April. Some states also already allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries or caucuses if they’ll turn 18 by the general election.

LaJuan Allen, the director of Vote16USA, an advocacy group that seeks to lower the voting age to 16, says the movement draws wide support from those who are already tantalizingly close to casting their first ballots.

“It is youth up and down this country, no matter the political party, that are pleading with adults to get these things right,” Allen says, “because they are most significantly impacted by the decisions that are made today.”

Like many conservatives, David Sharyan has concerns. He is worried about inflation, the economy, and the southern border. But he’s also annoyed that he can’t vote.

“I get taxed,” David says. “But I don’t get a voice in my representation.”

David is 17 and a high school senior who lives outside Portland, Oregon. He works as a host at a Mexican restaurant. He’s also the chair of the High School Republican National Federation. He feels that the voting age should be lowered. The idea is gaining new visibility since the United Kingdom announced in July that it plans to let 16- and 17-year-olds vote.

Lowering the voting age nationwide would be difficult in the United States. Here, changing the voting age requires a constitutional amendment.  However, dozens of cities have opened the door to young voters in some elections, and the momentum seems to be growing.

Last November, voters in Albany, California, overwhelmingly passed a measure lowering the voting age to 16 for local and school district elections. Two months later, lawmakers in Newark, New Jersey, passed a law allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections. College Park, Maryland, approved younger voting in April. Some states also already allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries or caucuses if they’ll turn 18 by the general election.

LaJuan Allen, the director of Vote16USA, an advocacy group that seeks to lower the voting age to 16, says the movement draws wide support from those who are close to the voting age.

“It is youth up and down this country, no matter the political party, that are pleading with adults to get these things right,” Allen says, “because they are most significantly impacted by the decisions that are made today.”

Young Americans often face criticism for their lack of participation in elections. They generally vote less reliably than their elders; less than half of people ages 18 to 29 cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election. But proponents of the change say lowering the voting age could lead to stronger voting habits.

Case in point: Baby boomers (people born from 1946 to 1964) have consistently voted at a higher rate than other generations. They were the last generation to see major change, in 1971, when the states ratified the 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. That suggests that lowering the voting age again could inspire a generation of more dedicated voters, experts say.

Many young people also argue they should be allowed to vote because they already can take on a range of adult responsibilities. They can drive, work, and even sue to be legally emancipated from their parents.

In the U.K., the voting age change has been pushed by the Labour Party, which controls Parliament and has argued it’s only fair in a nation where 16-year-olds can work full time and join the army (with parental consent).

Young Americans are often criticized for their lack of participation in elections. They generally vote less reliably than their elders. Less than half of people ages 18 to 29 voted in the 2024 presidential election. But supporters of the change say lowering the voting age could lead to stronger voting habits.

Baby boomers have consistently voted at a higher rate than other generations. (Baby boomers were born between 1946 to 1964.) They were the last generation to see major change in the voting age. In 1971, the states ratified the 26th Amendment. It lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Experts say that lowering the voting age again could inspire a generation of more dedicated voters.

Many young people also argue they should be allowed to vote because they already have some adult responsibilities. They can drive, work, and even sue to be legally emancipated from their parents.

In the U.K., the voting age change has been pushed by the Labour Party, which controls Parliament. They argued that a lower voting age is only fair in a nation where 16-year-olds can work full time and join the army (with parental consent).

If approved, as expected, by the full Parliament, the U.K. would join a small but growing collection of nations that allow minors to vote, including Argentina and Brazil.

But the idea of younger voters isn’t broadly popular in the U.S.: A March YouGov poll found that more than half of Americans would leave the federal voting age at 18.

And some teens worry their peers aren’t ready. Mason Fullerton, a recent high school graduate in Gaithersburg, Maryland, says that 16- and 17-year olds could be swayed by misinformation on social media.

Experts say that teenagers might be prone to act impulsively or make decisions influenced by the opinions of their peers. Still, Daniel Hart, a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey who has studied the voting age, says his research suggests that young people can handle the responsibility.

They have “the ability to make adultlike, rational decisions aligning their interests with appropriate political candidates,” Hart says.

If approved, as expected, by the full Parliament, the U.K. would join a small but growing collection of nations that allow minors to vote. This includes Argentina and Brazil.

But the idea of younger voters isn’t widely popular in the U.S. A March YouGov poll found that more than half of Americans would leave the federal voting age at 18.

And some teens worry their peers aren’t ready. Mason Fullerton, a recent high school graduate in Gaithersburg, Maryland, says that 16- and 17-year-olds could be swayed by misinformation on social media.

Experts say that teenagers might be inclined to act impulsively or make decisions influenced by the opinions of their peers. Still, Daniel Hart, a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey who has studied the voting age, says his research suggests that young people can handle the responsibility.

They have “the ability to make adultlike, rational decisions aligning their interests with appropriate political candidates,” Hart says.

In an age of fierce partisanship, getting a constitutional amendment passed and ratified by the states would be very difficult. So activists are focused now on local voting.

In Maryland, for example, nine cities have lowered the voting age to 16. There and elsewhere, it’s often students leading the charge.

Anya Kleinman, 16, is one of the lead organizers of Vote16 Maryland, a youth-led, nonpartisan coalition. She points out that issues like policing, mental health services, and public transportation are often controlled at the local level.

Getting a constitutional amendment passed and then ratified by the states would be very difficult. So activists are focused now on local voting.

In Maryland, for example, nine cities have lowered the voting age to 16. There and elsewhere, it is often students fighting for the change.

Anya Kleinman, 16, is one of the lead organizers of Vote16 Maryland. It is a youth-led, nonpartisan coalition. She points out that issues like policing, mental health services, and public transportation are often controlled at the local level.

Some teens want a say with school boards too. Vanessa Li, another lead organizer at Vote16 Maryland, says school boards have recently passed “some controversial policies,” including changes in grading standards and bans on cellphones. She also cites cuts to school funding—which she says “take a toll on our teachers, our textbooks, our classrooms.”

Young people are deeply affected by student loan policies, school budgets, and teacher contracts they get no say in, says Nathaniel Esubonteng, who as a 16-year-old worked to push Newark City Council to lower the voting age in school board elections.

“Many of us work, pay taxes, care for siblings, and organize campaigns,” he says, adding that young people “have that readiness” to vote.

Of course, “not every junior in high school is mature,” Anya says. But that’s not a disqualifying problem, she argues.

“I know so many college students that arguably are not . . . ‘mature’ enough to vote,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t.”

Some teens want a say with school boards too. Vanessa Li, another lead organizer at Vote16 Maryland, says school boards have recently passed “some controversial policies,” including changes in grading standards and bans on cellphones. She also cites cuts to school funding—which she says “take a toll on our teachers, our textbooks, our classrooms.”

Young people are deeply affected by student loan policies, school budgets, and teacher contracts they get no say in, says Nathaniel Esubonteng, who as a 16-year-old worked to push Newark City Council to lower the voting age in school board elections.

“Many of us work, pay taxes, care for siblings, and organize campaigns,” he says, adding that young people “have that readiness” to vote.

Of course, “not every junior in high school is mature,” Anya says. But that’s not a disqualifying problem, she argues.

“I know so many college students that arguably are not . . . ‘mature’ enough to vote,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t.”

Jesse McKinley and Callie Holtermann are reporters for The New York Times.

Jesse McKinley and Callie Holtermann are reporters for The New York Times.