by Kara Thompson ’20

As the November election draws closer, the pressure to vote has gotten increasingly higher. This year’s midterms will be one of the most critical in our country’s history, and it’s crucial for everyone who can vote to do so. Many people from celebrities to major companies to average citizens have been part of the campaign of encouraging voter participation.

Part of this campaign is getting everyone who is eligible registered to vote. The Motor Voter Act allows teenagers as young as 16 to register to vote when they get their license. This act has greatly increased voter registration, but less so voter turnout, as many who register this way are under the voting age of 18.

If people can register to vote when they are 16, they should be able to vote at this age as well. Many teenagers recently are involved and have opinions on government, and allowing them to cast a vote will permit them to be even more connected. Lowering the voting age to 16 will also ensure that the importance of voting and participating in government is discussed in high schools. Voting in elections, especially national ones, is the easiest way for people to have a say in the future of their country, state or county, and teenagers age 16 or over should be able to have this say.