Why do I have to be 18 to vote?

Why do I have to be 18 to vote?

Thea Brodkin (Voter Service Chair) gives expert video advice on: Who can vote in US elections?; Why do I have to be 18 to vote?; Why can't felons vote? and more...

That's an interesting question because it's very much being discussed right now. For example, right now there is a bill in Sacramento that says that if you're 17 now but you'll be 18 before the general election in November, you should be allowed to vote in the primary because you should be allowed to select the candidates that will be on the ballot in November. The bill hasn't passed, but it might some day and the League is in favor of that. We would like to see 17 year olds be able to vote if they're going to be 18 by the general election. However, don't remember that 18 year olds just got the vote after Vietnam. They didn't have the vote for a long time. And unfortunately, it's really sad, 18 to 21 year olds have the lowest voting turnout of any age group. So we have to continue to try to work on that.