People at the age of 16, while able to get a job that also brings taxes, are unable to vote in the democratic process. I think this is unfair and believe that if you are a tax paying citizen you should get the same right to vote with everyone else. Why should the younger generation, if they have a job, pay for Social Security and taxes when they barely have a voice in what is happening in the country? Some people may think that your brain is not fully developed before you turn 18 but even before then most people have an idea about what is happening in government. With knowledge and personal opinions on government they should be able to decide for themselves if they wish to vote in elections. This decision would also increase the amount of voters in the United States and could help with the amount of people that do not vote every election.
In today's world, almost everyone in America has access to the internet and social media in some way or another. With this access, people who are under 18 can get a great view on what is happening in the country so that they can form opinions on how things should work. While I believe the current issue correlates with paying taxes, what moved the voting age to 18 was the ability to fight in war.
In July, 1971, the 26th amendment was passed which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This was set in motion by the Second World War which allowed people who were 18 to fight in the war. This outraged Americans who believed that if you could go and fight for your country you should also be able to take part in the democratic process. It never gained traction until the Vietnam War in which 18 year olds were again sent away to another country to fight in a war. The slogan “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” became a sentiment throughout the United States. On July 5th, 1971 Nixon signed a bill that finally lowered the voting age to 18.
Some students like Cameron Jenkins share this sentiment commenting “If I can provide money to Social Security, I should be able to have a say in government.” While others like Mrs. Nipe claims “I think that in order to be a well informed voter, you need those extra couple of years to figure out where you stand politically.” Others, like Connor Schurr, also believe that you need those extra years to be able to form a proper opinion on politics and to become more well informed. However, if we are basing this off of brain development, according to the National Institute of Mental Health no one would be able to vote until they are at least 25! But this would also be unreasonable as people are able to form opinions as soon as they can talk.
It is unlikely that the age to vote in the U.S.A will be lowered any time soon or even at all. I believe that it is important to look at both sides of the argument and come to a conclusion on your own. Whether you can vote or not, it is essential that everyone finds information and becomes educated enough to be a voter. Everyone should research and be able to decide whether or not a change in the voting age would be a benefit or a negative thing for the future of the country.