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[Debate/토론] (PC-019) Lowering the Voting Age
최고관리자  |  18-11-10 11:45
From the 1990s to the present, elected officials in several US states have made unsuccessful attempts to lower the voting age to 16, and sometimes even younger. Student activism in the wake of a Feb. 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has brought new life to the debate over letting younger people vote. 

Currently, a handful of cities in Maryland allow 16-year-olds to participate in local elections, and the DC City Council is considering legislation that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds in the nation's capital to vote in all elections, including the 2020 presidential election. Internationally, about 20 countries allow citizens to vote at age 16, sometimes with conditions such as being employed or married. 

A constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 16 would require approval from two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-fourths of the state legislatures (38 states). Alternatively, state legislatures could pass laws allowing younger people to vote in their states. 

Pros

1. 16-year-olds are just as knowledgeable about civics and have the same ability to make good voting choices as older voters.

2. Lowering the voting age to 16 increases voter turnout and develops lifelong voting habits.

3. At age 16, people should have a voice in the laws that affect their lives and a stake in the future of their country.

Cons

1. Kids under the age of 18 aren't mature enough to participate in elections. 

2. The 18-29 age group has extremely low voter turnout numbers, suggesting that people aren't ready to vote until later in life.

3. The vast majority of Americans of all ages and political views agree that 16-year-olds should not be given the right to vote.