NPR: Maryland Suburb Says 16 Is Old Enough To Vote

[Ellis]

http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184243993/maryland-suburb-says-16-is-old-enough-to-vote?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

If you're old enough to drive, are you old enough to vote?

You soon will be if you live in Takoma Park, Md. The famously progressive suburb of Washington, D.C., has just extended voting rights in municipal elections to 16- and 17-year-olds.

Takoma Park was the first city in the country to take such a step, but its action is part of a larger trend toward letting people vote earlier.

"We're not the first community to talk about the idea, and I doubt we'll be the last to adopt it," says City Councilman Tim Male, a co-sponsor of the measure that was passed Monday.

The Massachusetts Senate on Wednesday held a hearing on the question of allowing municipalities to extend the franchise to citizens younger than 18, as the Lowell City Council has twice attempted to do.

"Our elected officials represent those who can vote," says Alex Koroknay-Palicz, a former executive director of the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA) and a recent transplant to Takoma Park. "Those under the voting age have a lot at stake in this country but have never been represented."

[Hitman21ST]

http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184243993/maryland-suburb-says-16-is-old-enough-to-vote?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

I don't necessarily agree with that, mainly because I know very few 18 year olds - let alone 16 year olds, who know enough/have educated themselves enough on the issues to make an informed decision about who to vote for. Most will probably just go along with who their parents vote for.

As for that quote: "Those under the voting age have a lot at stake...but have never been represented" - well, you can just now apply that to kids under 16 years old, and you can essentially just keep using that argument until 5 and 6 year olds can vote.

[burgundyrush]

I went to school with kids from Takoma Park and they are knuckleheads. Well to be fair most of these kids I met lived on Maple Avenue. Do you know how annoying it would be to have your parents pushing you to go vote when you have interest whatsoever in these elections. After thinking about this is a horrendous idea.