Washington, D.C. Moves to Permit 16 and 17-Year-Olds to Vote

April 17, 2018

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The Hill reports that lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are considering allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the forthcoming 2020 Presidential election.

An Overview of the Newly Presented Legislation

D.C. council member and Democrat Charles Allen put forth the legislation to permit the votes of 16 and 17-year-old Americans in the upcoming election. When asked about the motivator, Allen cited the recent March For Our Lives event and many young people’s recent calls for gun control. March For Our Lives occurred weeks after the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

Other members of Washington, D.C. council are also supporting the legislation, according to The Hill. A D.C. high school student from School Without Walls furthermore expressed her advocacy for allowing older teenagers to vote in the forthcoming Presidential election:

“I think people are getting excited about this, especially with what’s going on in the nation right now in terms of youth leading social change. So I think that people are going to be very excited about it and want to get on board.”