Should we raise the voting age? Is a question that gets asked pretty often. Now personally I know I care more about the government than most people my age, but the government is important. Now really why should we raise the voting age? Well “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” is the 26th amendment; it also has roots in WWII. I completely agree with this but not every citizen is enlisted and active in the military. With the exception for those in the military or are first responders, I believe that we should raise the voting age to twenty one because 21st century teenagers do not have enough education on voting. They also lack motivation to vote in elections.

Increasing the voting age from 18 to 21 will allow more time for people to mature from naive high schoolers to young adults with more real world experience and knowledge. Not only will this result in more educated and experienced votes, but it will also allow young adults to thoroughly consider how their views have evolved. Sometimes people make decisions in their teenage years they immensely regret in years to come. People in this age group don’t get taught much about politics so it’s not right they get to vote about something they don’t know about. 18 does not automatically mean maturity as it comes with different ages. 18 year olds do not have the same life and sense of adulthood. The 18-29 age group has extremely low voter turnout numbers, suggesting that people aren’t ready to vote until later in life.

Some people might think that we should lower the voting age to 16 because they want to help decide the future for the country they live in. However these claims are invalid because your life doesn’t end in your twenties. You still have a future for a good thirty-fifty years, and with raising the voting age to twenty one we should and could keep it at 18 for first responders people enlisted in the military (or at basic training) and for anybody who passes a civics test. “Kids under the age of 18 aren’t mature enough to participate in elections. Experts say that 16- and 17-year-olds demonstrate lower interest in politics, have less political knowledge, and lack the experience needed to participate in elections. Social scientists Tak Wing Chan and Matthew Clayton say that 16- and 17-year-olds wouldn’t be competent voters because “research in neuroscience suggests that the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is still undergoing major reconstruction and development during the teenage years.” This proves that their brains are not developed enough to make decisions for their country.

 In my opinion the voting age should be raised to 21 unless you are a first responder enlisted in the military or pass a civics test. Many sources say that we should raise the voting age. Only 12.5 percent of eighteen year olds vote compared to 42% of the general population. In conclusion it would be better for the economy and the whole United States if we raised the voting age to twenty one.