Cole Sebastian

Young Voting
Op/Ed
692
READY FOR COPY EDITS
A decrease in voting age could revolutionize voter turnout
Expanding suffrage to teenagers will have a profound effect on Americans political participation
Along with the Nov 3 local elections in Takoma Park, the second government election in
the country to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, a wider movement of youth voting is just
starting to bud. In time, the participation of young voters will greatly benefit voter turnout and
political participation as a whole.
The longer anyone has a habit, the stronger that habit becomes. This remains true for
voting; a lower voting age allows people to start a habit of civic duty at a young age and continue
it throughout their lives. Austin Plier, a communications and outreach specialist at the voting
reform group FairVote agrees that voting is a habit. The earlier you [vote], the better chance you
are to do it the rest of your life. So, having these folks cast a vote when they're 16 and 17,
especially when we know that they can make the decisions as informed voters, just makes
sense.
In the same way, consistently not voting is a difficult habit to break. Getting teenagers to
form a habit of voting is much easier than getting adults to break the habit of not voting. Rather
than focusing on increasing voter participation among the adult population, it is becoming more
important to do so for the youth. What can almost guarantee a habit of political participation is to
convince someone to vote when they are young and eager. Given the 2014 midterms dismal

voter turnout of 36.6 percent, as measured by the United States Election Project, a new
generation of habitual voters would be not only welcome but an improvement to democracy.
Young voters can have a profound effect on the voter turnout not only by participating
themselves, but also increasing the participation of their parents. If a young person becomes
involved in politics, their parents are far more likely to become involved as well. This theory,
called the trickle-up influence, was demonstrated in a study by the Center for Information and
Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. In order for this to happen, the young person
needs to care about politics. A lower voting age will allow teenagers to get involved more easily,
and therefore influence their parents to get involved.
This habit, however, must start with a first vote, and a lower voting age has been proven
to increase turnout among first-time voters. A study from the University of Copenhagen in
Denmark found that while voter turnout generally increases with age, young voters are more
likely to cast their first vote the younger they are. Austria, the only European country with a
voting age of 16, has been shown by a University of Vienna study to have a much higher turnout
for first-time voters.
All grand effects on political development aside, 16- and 17-year-olds have as much a
right to vote as anyone else. [Teens] have the mental capacity to make good decisions, and they
shouldn't be kept out of the process, says Plier. Sixteen, in many ways, is the most sensible time
to begin voting, especially in local elections. Eighteen is a bad time to start voting, says Plier.
Most people are in transition. A lot of times they're not living in the place where they grew up,
and not in the community that they grew up, so they don't have that connection to their local
government, like a 16 or 17 year old might, who's been living in that community for most of
their lives.

Many teenagers may feel that politicians dont represent their issues, thus concluding
that they have no purpose in voting. Having a lower voting age and a greater turnout will force
politicians to care about the issues that matter to the emerging generation. Its a simple matter of
representation: If teenagers have more weight in elections, their ideas will be reflected by the
candidates.
There is no better time to start voting than age 16 or 17. It is a monumental age in
American culture. Its when you can start driving and working and paying taxes. When it comes
to voting, it is often a ripe age in which people have developed the knowledge to make the right
decision, but also care enough to make one at all.
In order for any widespread voting reform to take place, young people need to show that
we care. We need to show that we will actually vote if given this right. No matter where you live
or what voting rights you have, vote at the first possible chance. Hyattsville and Takoma Park
both have lowered the age and DC is on its way. Legislators nationwide need to realize that we
want our voting rights, we deserve them, and we will not let them go to waste.