Voting is the central base of democracy. It allows people to actively contribute to the development of their communities. The voting age across the country is currently set at 18 years of age (for national elections). However, some residents of San Francisco theorize that age 16 is better than 18 years to build this voting habit, and have been considering allowing younger members of the population to get involved. In 2016, San Francisco attempted to become the first major US city to give voting rights to citizens of the ages of 16 and 17. This would have been a great step to help promote a large turnout of active voters.

If we were to lower the voting age, this would help teenagers develop a habit of voting early on.  Research shows that most 16- and 17-year-olds have the same level of civic knowledge as 21-year-olds. Some experts also maintain that "young people may be more likely to critically process information used to make informed political decisions." Statistics show that turnout is lowest among people aged 18-29 at the polls. It’s postulated that promoting this habit at an earlier age will inspire this generation of citizens to take a more active role in our democracy. 

A large percentage of San Franciscans already want 16 and 17-years-olds to vote in municipal elections, as evidenced by the fact that this measure almost passed... twice. Already some smaller cities have been practicing this right for years during their local elections. Cities like Takoma Park, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, are allowing their young people to practice their voting right. Officials remark that it is a positive practice, as it has an increased voter turnout and promotes the participation of youth in democracy. Takoma Park City Clerk Jessie Carpenter reveals that people of other communities and of all ages are interested in implementing this practice in their communities.

It’s obvious that people ages 16 and 17 are impacted by the decisions which seniors make regarding education, housing, or any other economic or social factors. According to the activist group Vote16SF, "Voters ages 18-25 have consistently expressed greater support for public funding for education than voters 65+." Lowering the voting age would allow young people to ensure that the issues that impact them are addressed appropriately. So it would be excellent to see the younger generation participating in democracy by practicing their right to vote.