Resources

 Vote16USA Fact Sheet A one-page introduction to the Vote16USA initiative and the issue of lowering the voting age

“Young Voices at the Ballot Box: Amplifying Youth Activism to Lower the Voting Age in 2020 and Beyond” Vote16USA’s comprehensive white paper on the issue

 Why lower the voting age? Four of the best reasons to lower the voting age in local election

 FairVote Resources An excellent compilation of resources from FairVote, which played a vital role in the successful push to lower the voting age in Takoma Park

Talking Points on Lowering the Voting Get ready to talk about the issue.

 

Community Assessment: Ask yourself these questions as you think about starting a campaign. Available as PDF and Google Doc. 

Campaign Plan Template: Use this to plan your campaign!

Field Guide of Best Practices: Learn about best practices from successful campaigns.

 “In Defense of Lowering the Voting Age” An essay in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review

“American Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds Are Ready to Vote” Highlights the legal notion of citizenship, and the neurological and social maturity of 16- and 17-year olds

“What happens when the voting age is lowered to 16? A decade of evidence from Austria” Summarizes a chapter in the book Lowering the Voting Age to 16
Learning from Real Experiences Worldwide (Full book available for purchase here).

“Voting at 16: Turnout and the quality of vote choice” An Austrian study that shows 16- and 17-year-olds voted just as responsibly as older voters

“Leaving the Nest and the Social Act of Voting: Turnout among First-Time Voters” A Danish study shows that turnout is higher among those who can vote at a younger age

The Right to Vote Under Local Law Provides legal guidance for courts to support a lower voting age at the municipal level

 “All Together Now: Collaboration and Innovation for Youth Engagement,” the 2013 report of the Commission on Youth Voting and Civic Knowledge, led by CIRCLE

 “Next Generation Blueprint for 2016,” from the Roosevelt Institute