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Prereading Quiz: Let Us Vote!
Before you read “Let Us Vote!,” take this five-question quiz to find out how much you already know.
What is the minimum age people in the U.S. must be to vote in national elections?
18
21
25
People in the U.S. must be at least 18 years old to vote in national elections, according to the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1971.
What was the first city in the United States to lower its voting age to 16 for local elections?
Brattleboro, Vermont
Newark, New Jersey
Takoma Park, Maryland
In 2013, Takoma Park, Maryland, became the first city in the country to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to cast ballots in local elections.
What military conflict motivated young people across the U.S. to call for the voting age to be lowered from 21 to 18?
the American Revolution
World War II
the Vietnam War
In the 1960s, during the height of the Vietnam War, the U.S. government required young men—many younger than 21—to serve in the military. This spurred young people to call for the national voting age to be lowered to 18.
What is one of the main arguments against lowering the voting age to 16?
If young teens vote, their schoolwork will suffer.
Research shows young teens’ decision-making skills aren’t fully developed.
Taking part in politics could harm teens’ mental health.
Some critics of lowering the voting age point to scientific findings that show that 16-year-olds’ brains and their decision-making skills aren’t fully developed. Such research has led many states to actually raise the age that teens are allowed to do certain things, such as driving without restrictions.
What is one of the main arguments in favor of lowering the voting age to 16?
Young teens are more likely to be informed about the candidates than adults are.
Voting will allow young teens to earn extra credit at school.
The sooner a person starts voting, the more likely they are to continue to vote.
Supporters of lowering the voting age point to studies that show that the earlier in life people vote for the first time, the likelier they are to vote throughout their lives.