Right now in Britain, teens the age of 16 are given the eligibility to vote, but not here in America. Isn't Americaknown for being, ‘the land of opportunity’? Then why aren't teens allowed that voting option in the United States?
The voting age has been at 18 for a really long time, and now younger teens want to have that same voting right, and they should be able to get it. Teens have been fighting for this right for quite a while, and it should finally be the time for them to be allowed to vote. The limited voting age should be lowered so more people can vote because it lets teens be heard, there are no ‘wrong’ votes, and it gives teens their earned rights.
The first thing to consider is that lowering the voting age allows teens to voice their opinions. Vikrant Kamat, a sophomore at Upper St. Clair High School, argues that, “If I am old enough to be taxed, I should be old enough to be heard.” This demonstrates how teenagers are feeling very deeply about their right to be able to vote. Many teens like Vikrant want to be heard and want to have a say in their government, but they are not allowed to because of the restricted voting age. There are many teenagers that are in the same situation, they are getting taxed by the authorities, but are not allowed to publicly poll for who the authorities are, which denies their opinions. Vikrant Kamat also says that the government, “takes teenagers' money while dismissing their voices.” This also shows how teens are
being taken advantage of with their money but they aren't allowed to vote and aren't able to speak about how they feel politically. And this is unrighteous because it pushes away their concerns and rejects their voting input which they should be allowed to have.
Another thing to take to context is that it is not possible to cast a ‘wrong vote’ when voting. One of the main reasons that teenagers aren't given the chance to vote is because they vote according to misinformation, but don't adults also vote on incorrect facts? Vikrant Kamat states that, “Many vote based on habit, emotion or family influence. That reality is accepted as part of democracy.” This indicates that even the people that are eligible to vote right now are making unthought about votes and everyone is fine with that, but it is not acceptable if some teens might vote like that. People are being very unfair about this because they feel like teenagers will vote on the wrong side during elections, but that just simply isn't reasonable because they are voting how they want, just like everyone else, so their vote can't be ‘incorrect’. Vikrant also argues that she is, “not arguing that every teenager is ready to vote wisely. Neither is every adult. Democracy has always accepted that risk in exchange for fairness and legitimacy.” But if everyone is completely fine with adults voting ‘wrongly’, why do they care so much if teens do the same? This shows just how unfair the government is about their voting policy. And in any case, a ‘wrong vote’ is an incorrect thing to say because every vote is right, for it is each single person's choice on what they want to vote for.
Also, experts argue that “the change could increase turnout but not necessarily sway elections, while finding that 16- and 17-year-olds were actually more likely to vote than those who got the vote at 18.” (Should 16-Year-Olds Be Allowed To Vote?). This proves that if the government changes the voting age, it won't be much of a difference other than the teenagers feeling fulfilled that they made their mark in this country. Plus, this shows that their ‘wrong’ vote can't change much in the political vote because it just makes up for the people that aren't voting. This also straightforwardly shows that the younger teenagers that don't have the ability to vote are more expected to vote than the people that already have that chance, proving that they should lower the voting age for people that are more passionate about this topic.
The final reason that teens should be allowed to vote is that voting gives them their equal representation and rights. Most teens around the age of 16 have jobs, and from the money they get paid with, they are forced to take taxes out of it. Ever since the creation of America, there has always been an argument about who is allowed to vote, and something that drove that argument was a famous saying, “No taxation without representation!” This shows that even our ancestors believed that everyone should have the right to vote and everyone should have the same ability to be represented. It is completely unfair that these teens are forced to pay a fee out of their well earned money from their jobs, yet they aren't allowed to vote for the people that this money that they are giving is going to! Letting these teens vote for who should be in the government gives them their earned representation in the economy, and gives them
their rights that they should already have. In the New York Times Newspaper article by Jeremy Engle, a director of Vote16USA, LaJuan Allen, states that, “It is youth up and down this country, no matter the political party, that are pleading with adults to get these things right...Because they are most significantly impacted by the decisions that are made today.” This proves that teens are the ones that are mainly affected by the government and what they do, so they should have the right to vote who is in it. By letting teens vote on these issues that control them, it makes them actually feel equally as a part of the country and lets them present themselves while using the rights they are entitled to have.
Though some may argue that teenagers shouldn't be allowed to vote because they are not ready, many others believe that teens are actually mature enough to make voting decisions. While it is true that some 16 year olds are irresponsible and unsensible, most of them surprisingly juggle more responsibilities than you may think. For example, Vikrant Kamat argues that, “Teenagers are already entrusted with serious responsibilities, with some working, managing school and job schedules, and in some cases, taking care of their younger siblings.” This evidence shows that teens already have so much responsibility, they can also take on the responsibility of being allowed to vote. Since they already
manage all these tasks, it proves that they are mature enough to be in the ballot. Also, another thing that proves that teenagers are prepared to vote is that they are introduced to civic information ever since they are in school. The New Jersey Student Learning Standards-Social Studies declare that students must be, “civic-minded, globally aware, and socially responsible.” This undoubtedly proves that teens are mature and knowledgeable enough to be able to vote because they have the public understanding. These 16 year olds have been taught about the government and voting ever since 6th grade, and now they are in 11th grade, which shows that they have the experience to vote and they should be allowed to.
The voting age restriction has been an ongoing debate for a very long time and it is about time we change that because it helps teenagers empower their political thoughts, votes can not be ‘wrong’, and because letting teens vote provides them with the representation that they deserve. Everyone deserves the right to vote, and since 18 year olds can vote, there is no harm in giving 16 year olds that opportunity as well. It is crucial that the government should change the voting age requirement to help support our country when choosing our leaders. So in the end, the right thing to do is lower the voting age to encourage teenagers' suffrage and benefit the political vote, as well as to benefit the teenagers themselves.
Works Cited
Engle, Jeremy. "Should 16-Year-Olds Be Allowed to Vote?" New York Times (Online), 04 Sept. 2025. ProQuest;
SIRS Discoverer, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsdiscoverer/document/3274996237?accountid=64167.
Kamat, Vikrant. "The Government Wants My Money but Not My Thoughts." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 04 Jan.
2026, pp. D-6. ProQuest; SIRS Discoverer,
https://explore.proquest.com/sirsdiscoverer/document/3290996832?accountid=64167.
New Jersey Student Learning Standards -Social Studies. June 2020,
www.nj.gov/education/standards/socst/docs/2020NJSLS-SS_Grades6-8.pdf.
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