What Is the Correct Age for the Right to Vote?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the right to vote, particularly the age of the voter. At the beginning of the United States, only white, property-owning males were allowed to vote. The right to vote was given to all males after the Civil War regardless of race, color, or history of servitude (15^th Amendment, ratified in 1870) and extended to all adults regardless of biological sex (19^th Amendment, ratified in 1920). Still later, the age to vote was extended to all Americans aged 18 years or older (26^th Amendment, ratified in 1971).

There is now a national movement to allow teenagers aged 16 years or older to have the right to vote. According to Jay Evenson at The Deseret News, some left-leaning states are already allowing “16-year-olds to vote in municipal elections.” The logic for doing so is that “16-year-olds can hold jobs and pay income taxes; therefore they should be able to help elect the people who make decisions regarding that tax.” 

Americans are great at using equivalence arguments when it comes to defining when someone becomes an adult. A half-century ago, the Constitution was amended to lower the voting age to 18, based on the argument that an 18-year-old could be drafted into the armed services and die in Vietnam, and therefore should be allowed to vote for the people who authorize war. That one made some sense.

And yet, states still don’t let people legally drink alcohol until age 21. Various states grant restricted driver licenses by age 15 or 16, with problem-free drivers receiving full licenses between 16 and 18. If you want to start an interesting conversation, ask a parent whether his or her 16-year-old is ready to pilot a car down the street.

I’m guessing few people believe adulthood is bestowed by lightning at 12:01 a.m. on a certain birthday. It’s a gradual process. By 18, people tend to possess the physical maturity and reaction skills necessary to make an effective soldier. By 21, they, theoretically at least, possess the maturity to drink alcohol responsibly.

And yet, science has established that the prefrontal cortex, which regulates thoughts, actions, emotions and judgments, does not fully develop until the age of 25. Your mileage may vary.

Lowering the voting age to 16 would require an amendment to the Constitution. Those leading the charge to do so are Democrats because statistics show that young people are “believed to be more likely to vote for Democrats.” Some municipalities have already bestowed the right to vote in municipal elections on 16-year-olds. Will 16-year-old teenagers be campaigning for mayor and other elected offices in the municipality?