The United States trails most developed nations in voter turnout. Moreover, young American voters ages 18-29 have consistently had the lowest turnout rates compared to other age groups. Some attribute this to political apathy or lack of engagement; in many ways, though, 18 is the worst age to start voting. 18-year-olds have just been separated from their parents, thrust into college or the workplace, and burdened with the responsibilities of an adult. The second most common reason 18-year-olds don’t vote is that they are “too busy”. In contrast, 16- and 17-year-olds are in a stable high school environment surrounded by friends, family, and teachers, and most have already learned about government.

In local communities and foreign nations that have implemented a lower voting age, 16- and 17-year-olds consistently turn out at a higher rate than traditional first-time voters ages 18-20. Moreover, allowing youth to start voting at an early age instills voting as a habit, increasing turnout in future years.

When 16 and 17 year-olds gain the right to vote, schools will be pushed to implement civics courses, which will help students to learn about the electoral process and how their decisions affect their communities. This education, combined with the actions youth will take on their own to familiarize themselves with their ballots, will foster long-term civic engagement and a greater awareness of the impacts of their political decisions for years to come.

Although research shows that the brain is not fully developed in impulse driven decision making at 16, the process of voting is not an impulse driven action. The youth who register and take action in order to vote will be those youth who are driven to make a difference with their vote, meaning that they will think out the choices they will make before voting. This kind of thinking has been proven to be fully developed by the age of 16^[1], so youth will be on a level playing field with adults when it comes to mental ability to make decisions on their ballots.

Just as age 18 carries a weight in our society, the age of 16 carries a similar weight–this is when teenagers can get their driver's licenses and begin working as many hours as they choose. Additionally, there has been research that has indicated that, although 16-year-olds are cognitively equal to most voters 18 years old, 15-year-olds typically are not, making 16 a logical biological boundary.

Vote16 is a movement with national presence and success. Campaigns in five cities in Maryland; Berkeley, California; and Oakland, California have successfully lowered the voting age for municipal or school board elections. Current Vote16 campaigns exist in Michigan, Illinois, Washington D.C., Palo Alto, and more.

On February 4, 2021, Representative Grace Meng introduced H.J.Res.23, a Constitutional amendment that would nationally lower the voting age. The bill has 17 co-sponsors and is a huge leap forward for the Vote16 movement.