Americans Overwhelmingly Reject Lowering Voting Age To 16

(The Hill)

An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose the idea of granting voting rights to citizens younger than 18, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll released on Thursday.

The survey found that 75 percent of registered voters opposed allowing 17-year-olds to participate in elections. An even larger number, 84 percent, opposed allowing 16-year-olds to vote. Every age group in the poll was against lowering the voting age to 16 or 17, though younger respondents were more supportive than older participants.

Thirty-nine percent of respondents under the age of 35 were in favor of allowing 17-year-olds to vote, compared with 13 percent of those 65 and older who felt the same way.

Twenty-seven percent of respondents between 18 and 34 supported granting voting rights to 16-year-olds, while only 5 percent of those 65 and older agreed.

The survey also found that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to be opposed to voting rights for people younger than 18.

Eighty-eight percent of GOP respondents said that 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote, and 89 percent opposed letting 16-year-olds vote.

Among Democrats, 65 percent said 17-year-olds should not be allowed to vote, with 78 percent saying the same about 16-year-olds.

Among independent voters, 74 percent said they opposed lowering the voting age by one year, while 26 supported the idea. Letting 16-year-olds participate in elections received even less support, with only 16 percent backing the proposal. Read more