Should 12-year-olds be allowed to vote? (8th Grade)

As part of our eighth-grade election/civics unit, we will be diving into some big questions about America using the PBS digital series, America from Scratch. Designed with young viewers in mind, each episode in the series asks a question about a fundamental building block of the United States as we know it. Some episodes ask questions like “Should we have a president?”  and “Should voting be mandatory?” This week, we watched one of my favorite questions,  “Should 12-year-olds be allowed to vote?” After a great discussion, students wrote a short essay answering the question. Here are some excerpts from their writing:

“Sometimes, the president's actions CAN affect kids. Or they can affect their parents, which in turn affects their kids. That is why kids should have some say in this. And if you think kids don’t care about these issues, then look at the nationwide protests of kids and teens demanding something be done about an issue they care about or that affects them. That is why twelve-year-olds should be able to vote.” -Matthew

“To me, it doesn’t make sense that teenagers can’t vote for the things that will directly influence their lives.” -Case

“Making the voting age lower won’t make that much of a difference either because a lot of people still won’t vote.” -Harper        

“I also think that we will live longer than most adults, therefore, we should have a say in our future. 12 may be a little young, But I think the voting age should be lowered to maybe 14 or 15. I, personally, really hope they will lower the voting age so I could vote in the next election. ( I will be 17! So close…)” -Phina

“I think that around 15 or 16 is a good age to start voting. You start having your own opinions and you just overall have a better understanding of the world. That is why I think that children should be allowed to vote. Just not 12 year olds.” -Maren

We will continue to discuss these big ideas and will be writing our own proposals for how to build “America from Scratch” near the end of the trimester. Stay tuned!