16 for 16

This is a new idea, and some people are skeptical at first, but after a five minute conversation that seriously considers the proposal and its benefits, most realize the merits of Vote16. As one young leader wrote about the SF campaign:

“Letting 16-year-olds vote in local elections? My parents thought it was ridiculous, too. San Francisco is always on the leading edge, but this seemed like a step too far.

The argument that swayed them may surprise you: Believe it or not, Proposition F is not about entitling teenagers. Instead, it is designed to create lifelong voters, helping counter a national epidemic of voter disengagement.”

Lowering the voting age for local elections is still a new idea, and momentum for it is building at a rapid pace. The policy started to gain traction 10 years ago, when young people in Cambridge, MA convinced the city council to request permission from the state to enact this reform. Massachusetts laws made it tough, and the state ultimately did not act on the city’s request, but energy for this idea has grown from there.

The first two cities to enact this change have done so in the past three years, and there have been a total of four municipal elections with 16-year-old voters. The San Francisco campaign is the very first time this issue is on the ballot in any city, and other cities around the country are taking notice. This is a movement and it’s just getting started.

The effort to lower the voting age in local elections transcends party lines. Vote16 aims to invigorate our democracy, lift up civics education, and create lifelong voters, regardless of who or what they vote for. This effort is based on increasing participation in democracy, not promoting any one ideology.

Lowering the voting age is a new idea, and many people have questions about its legality. Let’s set the record straight. The 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to vote to those 18 and older, but it does not prohibit states from setting lower voting ages for their elections. Further, several states give their cities the power to establish rules for local elections, including lowering the voting age. Check out our white paper for further description, and see this upcoming law review article on the topic for a more comprehensive analysis. With the common legal concerns addressed, we can confidently move forward working to extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds in local elections.

Over 15 countries around the world use a voting age lower than 18 for at least some of their elections, and the results are positive. In Austria, which lowered the voting age to 16 for all national elections in 2008, 16- and 17-year-olds have voted at higher rates than older first time voters, showing that 16 is indeed the best time to establish the important habit of voting. The same has been true with 16- and 17-year-olds voting in Norway’s local elections. Scotland extended the vote to 16-year-olds in the 2014 independence referendum, and was so impressed by their participation that the country lowered the voting age for all of its elections soon thereafter. This solution has worked around the world, and it’s time to move it forward here in the United States.  

The United States faces a voter turnout crisis. In the most recent 2014 midterm elections, only 36 percent of eligible voters participated, marking a 72-year low. Indeed, more than 25 percent of eligible voters are not even registered to vote. This problem is well-recognized, and some states have taken bold moves to make voting more accessible in an effort to drive up turnout. But, research reveals that most of these reforms just make voting more convenient for people who already participate, rather than helping new voters establish the habit. We need more innovative solutions to tackle this challenge, and lowering the voting age in local elections is one of them.

Young people care deeply about their communities and are passionate about making them better. Indeed, over half of millennials regularly volunteer, a higher rate than other age groups. However, despite their idealism and desire to make a difference, increasing numbers of young people do not see government as part of the solution. The majority of millennials believe the best way to make positive change is through volunteering and charities – not political action. Vote16 can change that. By inviting young people to participate directly in the political process we can show them that it is often the best avenue for change.

Vote16 is powered by passionate advocates from around the country, from the young people and innovative elected officials who passed this in Maryland, to the massive teams fighting for wins in San Francisco and Berkeley, to those starting conversations about the idea in communities around the country. We are just getting started, and we need your help to move this forward.

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