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Voting Under Age 18
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Voting Under Age 18

28 March, 2024
Citizenship
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For many years, the minimum voting age in most states was 21. In 1971, Congress ratified the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It lowered the voting age to 18 in every state. While states cannot violate the Constitution by setting a higher minimum voting age, states and localities can lower the age requirement for primaries and caucuses and for state and local elections. 

Primaries and Caucuses 

Seventeen-year-olds can register to vote in every state, but that does not mean they can vote at age 17. Over half of the states restrict voting to those 18 or older in all elections. However, many states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 by the time of Election Day.  

Caucuses, which are run by political parties and not the state, allow 17-year-olds to select candidates in some states. However, if the state does not allow 17-year-olds to vote, they cannot participate in any subsequent primary. Since political parties run caucuses, one political party in a state may allow 17-year-olds to participate while the other may not. 

Here is a full list of states that currently allow 17-year-olds to select congressional and presidential candidates in a primary or caucus: 

  • Connecticut 
  • Colorado 
  • Delaware 
  • Illinois 
  • Indiana 
  • Iowa 
  • Kentucky 
  • Maine 
  • Maryland 
  • Missouri 
  • Mississippi 
  • Nebraska 
  • New Mexico 
  • North Carolina 
  • South Carolina 
  • Ohio 
  • Rhode Island 
  • Utah 
  • Vermont 
  • Virginia 
  • West Virginia 
  • Washington, D.C. (presidential primaries) 

Other states are also working towards a lower voting age. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently signed the New Voter Empowerment Act. The law allows 17-year-olds to vote in a primary if they are 18 by the general or statewide election beginning in 2026.  

Special Ballots for 17-Year-Olds 

States that allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election only let them select candidates for office. This means election officials must ensure they cannot vote on issues or special questions that may also be on the ballot. Every state manages this differently. Some states require 17-year-olds to vote with a paper ballot. The ballot is only counted after an official verifies it was completed for eligible offices. Other states prepare digital ballots specifically for 17-year-olds. These ballots only contain the candidates a 17-year-old can vote for in the primary.  

Voting at Age 16 in Some Cities 

A few cities have lowered their voting age to 16 for local or school board elections. Berkeley and Oakland, California allow 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections. Brattleboro, Vermont and Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Riverdale Park, and Takoma Park, Maryland allow 16-year-olds to vote in all local elections. Other cities and states are considering lowering the voting age to 16 in local or school board elections. 

Many people support lowering the voting age to 16 in all elections. Since 2018, members of the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a bill every term to replace the Twenty-sixth Amendment with a new amendment to extend voting rights to citizens 16 years of age or older. A new amendment would change the voting age for all elections in all states. While the bill has failed to pass, people throughout the United States continue to discuss lowering the voting age. 

What Do You Think? What do you think the voting age should be? Why? Do you think the age should be different for school board or local elections than for national or statewide elections? Why or why not?
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