Should America lower the voting age?

 

The U.K. Is considering lowering the voting age to 15. Should the U.S. Do the same? 

"Do many places give 16-year-olds the vote?

"Several nations do, including Austria, Malta and Brazil, while in Greece the voting age is set at 17. Others allow 16-year-olds to participate only in some elections: In Germany and Belgium, they can help choose members of the European Parliament, but they cannot vote in federal elections. Britain has been in that category: Elections for the separate parliaments that control many policy areas in Scotland and Wales already had a voting age of 16." (Source: N.Y. Times story.)

The national voting age in the United States, as established by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, is 18 years old

. This means that anyone who is a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years of age on or before Election Day has the right to vote in federal, state, and local elections, assuming they meet other state-specific residency and registration requirements. 

It is important to note that while the federal voting age is 18, some states allow younger individuals (typically 17-year-olds) to register and even vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the time of the general election. Additionally, some states allow preregistration for individuals younger than 18, so they are eligible to vote once they reach the age of 18. 

The 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971, largely driven by the sentiment that if 18-year-olds were old enough to be drafted and fight in the Vietnam War, they should also be old enough to vote.