Youth Suffrage - Lowering the Voting Age

Youth Suffrage

- Lowering the Voting Age

Introduction

Activists across the United States and around the world are working to enfranchise young people with what may be the highest civic duty - the right to vote.

Point to Ponder

"What kind of twisted message do we send when we tell youth they are judged mature, responsible adults when they commit murder, but silly, brainless kids when they want to vote?... Lowering the voting age is the just, fair way to set things straight." - National Youth Rights Association

Resources

These organizations, websites, and publications specifically advocate lowering the voting age to allow young people to participate in this civic responsibility.

Organizations

Association for Children's Suffrage
Challenging the voting age through lobbying, public meeting, and media.

Voting: Youth Citizenship from the American Bar Association

A brief history of the movement to lower the national voting age from 21 to 18.

Free Kids

“Some people think kids are too stupid to vote. Kids are too selfish, self-centered and irresponsible - grownups say…” Opening quote from this personal page focusing on children’s suffrage.

The End of Childhood

Fiery rhetoric and significant tools for young people and adults who want to change the way children are seen in the United States and Canada today.

National Youth Rights Association Voting Rights Section

Includes timely articles and assorted arguments for lowering the voting age.

Vote at 16

An organization working to lower the voting age in Florida.

Mobilzing America's Youth

An all-partisan network dedicated to educating, empowering, and energizing young people to increase our civic engagement and political participation.

Publications

Issue Brief: Voting Age

By Susan Vermeer. Explores legislation and initiatives in 10 states aimed at lowering the voting age. State legislatures are considering a variety of approaches, from partial votes starting at age 14 to resolutions urging Congress to change the voting age nationwide. Details advocates and challengers' stances.

Top 10 Reasons to Lower the Voting Age

Need Surveyed for a Voting Age Revision

By Bob Siedman. Examines the reasons for lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.

The "Age" of Democracy

Argues for an abolished voting age.

Why Children Should Have a Vote

by Duncan Lindsey

Proposal to Lower the Voting Age

by Keith Mandell. While this proposal makes the case for why Washington, DC should lower its voting age, the research and arguments are universal.

Children's Political Rights

By Bob Franklin. An article that uses John Holt's reasoning to argue for the elimination of the minimum voting age.

Children's Most Essential Right
By Ben O'Meara. A well-researched paper that focuses on the legal argument for lowering the voting age and makes use of social science research to support the argument.

The Freechild Project

Survey of North American Youth Rights, or SNAYR,

is brought to you in partnership with the National Youth Rights Association

For more information visit the Youth Rights Network

Return to the SNAYR homepage