Washington, D.C., may allow 16-year-olds to vote for president in the 2020 election

The legislation was introduced last Tuesday by D.C. council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6).

(According to this) Washington, D.C. may lower the voting age for federal and local elections to 16. The legislation was introduced last Tuesday by D.C. council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who said he was inspired by the high schoolers that came to D.C. to protest at the March for our lives. 

A group of young people in D.C. are working on getting the vote for 16 and 17-year-olds.

“We work, we pay taxes, we care for family members, we can drive, we can do so many other things. So, adding voting onto that isn’t going to be that big of a responsibility. We can handle it,” said Alex Shyer, a 16-year-old Sophomore at Woodrow Wilson High School.

The last time the voting age was changed in this country was four decades ago. The Vietnam War was raging, and students protested that it was unfair 18-year-old could be drafted but could not vote.

In 1971, Congress passed the 26th Amendment giving people 18 and older the right to vote.

In 2013, Takoma Park, Md., allowed 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections, and other cities, including Berkely, Calif., also extended voting rights. But while cities can only extend voting rights in municipal elections, the District of Columbia is treated a state in some cases, and can, therefore, change the voting age to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote for President of the United States in addition to local elections.

Supporters of the legislation are hoping to have a public hearing set up in June and then a vote on the measure before the end of the year.