Should 16-Year-Olds Vote in Massachusetts? Legislators Say Yes

Since the bill aiming to lower the voting age to 16 was proposed in the state, petitioners and other national supporters have been showing immense enthusiasm for the benefits that this bill and similar legislation could have on American democracy. 

It’s an exciting time for youth activism. Younger generations seem to have gained political momentum since the beginning of the Trump Administration. Gen Z and Millennials practically lead national movements against the administration's policies, like the March For Our Lives and Global Climate Strike. Many believe these voices should have more power in dictating their futures on a governmental level.

“We’re seeing young people more and more engaged in the political process,” said Rep. Tami Gouveia, one of the bill’s petitioners. “There’s a lot at stake for them in terms of how we’re preparing for their future.”

Activism and voting should go hand-in-hand, according to the bill’s supporters. Since these kids care deeply about political issues and they’re educating themselves on them, they should have more power to affect change.

“The more they take responsibility for creating change, the more voting is seen as part of those activities and a representation of their community engagement,” said Rep. Mindy Domb, another supporter of the bill. 

Brandon Klugman, campaign manager at VOTE16USA—a national organization seeking to pass similar legislation throughout the country—believes this movement toward engaging younger voters will only grow stronger from here. 

“Now, more than 10 states have bills introduced about this,” Klugman said. “As it becomes more mainstream, we will only see interest continue to grow.” 

The United States House of Representatives recently voted on a similar piece of legislation to lower the voting age to 16 on the national level—an amendment proposed by Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

Still, some people still have reservations about allowing younger teenagers to have voting access. Gouveia noticed widespread hesitation, stemming mostly from stereotypical ideas about young people and their relationship to local governmental engagement. But she doesn’t see these as valid arguments. 

“I don’t think it’s fair to single out young people just because of their age,” she said. “In fact, because so many adults did not have practice voting when they were younger, it didn’t become a regular habit for them...This bill is really important because we want to have people engaged all through their adult years.”

Klugman agrees that allowing citizens to start voting earlier in life would allow for a stronger community of participating voters in the future. “The U.S. lags behind many other democracies when it comes to percentage of citizens who show up and vote,” he said. “We need to make sure that our democracy is accessible and young people are participating.”

These supporters also recognize the apprehension regarding the maturity levels of 16-year-olds, another major concern for opponents of the bill. But they say this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. 

“We teach young people how to drive a car at 16 years old...and then they go out with that car that might kill someone,” Gouveia said. “We trust them to make life or death decisions every day. Lowering the voting age provides a similar opportunity in regards to civic engagement.”

Domb also referenced a parallel between early driving and voting. “A constituent during my campaign described to me that staging voting at different ages [16 municipal, 17 state, 18 federal] is like staging for permission to drive,” she said. “Only in this case, it also helps to build voting behavior.” 

Psychologically speaking, Klugman believes 16-year-olds are just as capable as any other citizen to make rational voting decisions. 

“When it comes to cognition, voting falls under cold cognition,” he said, which he describes as deliberate, thought-out and factually informed decision-making. “Sixteen-year-olds are just as advanced as older adults in this kind of cognition,” Klugman said. “Don’t underestimate our young people.”  

If the bill is passed, some believe that bringing younger voters into elections could result in significant changes in the community. “A younger electorate will make changes in all elections,” said Domb. “It will force government to address some of the major issues impacting these voters, their futures and their dreams.”

“Right now, there’s been a real notable increase in interest in youth activism, and elected officials are starting to wake up to the notion that young people do care and are eager to get involved” said Klugman. “This is the perfect time to really advance these conversations and hopefully push the policy forward.”