Sixteen year olds can drive. Why not vote?
Merry Ellis
Issue date: 11/6/06 Section: Opinion
As a 17 year old college student, I think that one of the most important issues facing our government today is lowering the voting age to 16. I think that this would be a wise move on the part of our government for a variety of reasons. I have always wanted to vote, and am still counting down the days until I am officially able to do so.
I suppose the first question to ask in regard to this issue is why is it even an issue at all? In most states when you turn 16 you can get your driver's license, and we all know that for jury duty they take the names from the voter registration and from a list of people with driver's licenses.
Shouldn't these two things go together? Wouldn't it be a lot easier if when you went to get your driver's license at 16 you could also register to vote at the same time? If our 16 year olds are legally old enough to drive shouldn't they have the right to vote on such things as the seat belt law that was recently passed?
Another point in this argument is that teens pay taxes to the government every day, and yet they have no say in where those tax dollars are used. After the Vietnam War the voting age was officially lowered from 21 to 18. The reasoning was that if our 18-20 year olds were old enough to be sent into a war zone to fight for their country, they were old enough to vote on the politicians that sent them there in the first place. If 18 year olds are old enough to vote since they're old enough to fight for their country shouldn't 16 year olds be old enough to vote since they're old enough to drive and pay taxes?
The big argument against giving 16 year olds the vote is that they wouldn't turn out anyway. Of course this reasoning is based on the low turnout of voters between the ages of 18 and 25. There is a very good reason why people in that age group don't always get out to vote. At 18 you're just starting to find your way in the world. Between work and school and personal relationships it's hard to find the time to do something like voting. Besides it's so involved, you have to take time to register and then when it comes time to vote you have to get to the polls. But what if you had registered when you got your driver's license? And a lot of polling places are located in high schools, so you could vote between classes and not have to worry about squeezing in time to do it later.
Others contend that 16 year olds wouldn't be informed enough to vote, but this isn't fair. When you're 16 you're usually still living at home and you'll probably hear your parents talking about politics. Teens today are more informed than ever before thanks to the internet, and if given the right to vote they could use that information even more to their advantage.
Any way you look at it, it just makes sense to give 16 year olds the vote. They are old enough to drive and to pay taxes. They are also still living at home, so voting wouldn't be that much of an inconvenience. Teens would be able to keep up with the issues and would vote well. There are no "wrong" votes, so it's not as if giving teens the vote could really hurt anything. If this issue ever makes it to the polls I hope you will keep this in mind and help to give 16 year olds the vote.
I suppose the first question to ask in regard to this issue is why is it even an issue at all? In most states when you turn 16 you can get your driver's license, and we all know that for jury duty they take the names from the voter registration and from a list of people with driver's licenses.
Shouldn't these two things go together? Wouldn't it be a lot easier if when you went to get your driver's license at 16 you could also register to vote at the same time? If our 16 year olds are legally old enough to drive shouldn't they have the right to vote on such things as the seat belt law that was recently passed?
Another point in this argument is that teens pay taxes to the government every day, and yet they have no say in where those tax dollars are used. After the Vietnam War the voting age was officially lowered from 21 to 18. The reasoning was that if our 18-20 year olds were old enough to be sent into a war zone to fight for their country, they were old enough to vote on the politicians that sent them there in the first place. If 18 year olds are old enough to vote since they're old enough to fight for their country shouldn't 16 year olds be old enough to vote since they're old enough to drive and pay taxes?
The big argument against giving 16 year olds the vote is that they wouldn't turn out anyway. Of course this reasoning is based on the low turnout of voters between the ages of 18 and 25. There is a very good reason why people in that age group don't always get out to vote. At 18 you're just starting to find your way in the world. Between work and school and personal relationships it's hard to find the time to do something like voting. Besides it's so involved, you have to take time to register and then when it comes time to vote you have to get to the polls. But what if you had registered when you got your driver's license? And a lot of polling places are located in high schools, so you could vote between classes and not have to worry about squeezing in time to do it later.
Others contend that 16 year olds wouldn't be informed enough to vote, but this isn't fair. When you're 16 you're usually still living at home and you'll probably hear your parents talking about politics. Teens today are more informed than ever before thanks to the internet, and if given the right to vote they could use that information even more to their advantage.
Any way you look at it, it just makes sense to give 16 year olds the vote. They are old enough to drive and to pay taxes. They are also still living at home, so voting wouldn't be that much of an inconvenience. Teens would be able to keep up with the issues and would vote well. There are no "wrong" votes, so it's not as if giving teens the vote could really hurt anything. If this issue ever makes it to the polls I hope you will keep this in mind and help to give 16 year olds the vote.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 7
mike
posted 12/22/06 @ 4:14 AM EST
You do register to vote when you get your drivers license. And voting isnt really all that involved it is quite easy actually. Also the voting age was lowered to increase voter turnout, it didnt work. (Continued…)
Stacy S.
posted 4/25/07 @ 2:08 PM EST
.I will agree some sixteen-seventeen year olds know enough about politics to make an informed decision (vote), but I will disagree the age should be lowered. (Continued…)
Todd
posted 5/01/07 @ 11:29 AM EST
I'm actually writing my law school thesis in support of 16-year-old voting. There are strong legal arguments for 16-year-old voters.
Rhonda
posted 9/13/07 @ 11:48 PM EST
While a 16 year old is given the privilege to drive, they are not always prepared for the experience. They miss judge situations and make mistakes. They will learn and practice driving a vehicle through a crowded city and a small town, taking time to understand the rules of the road and how to be safe drivers. (Continued…)
Duncan
posted 11/11/07 @ 9:11 AM EST
Mabey a sixteen year old can drive, mabey they can't. I think that a sixteen year old can drive but if they get in a car crash or runs a red light, they can't get there license back till there eighteen
qais sajjad
posted 1/13/08 @ 11:08 AM EST
i think if 16 year olds in the uk are allowed to work why shouldnt they be allowed to drive? i agree people do break the law by drinking whilst driving - but for those who do break the law legal actions should take place and they should face the consequences --- even though i am 15 years of age and i am also looking forward to work and drive - i hope it does go down to 16
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