1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I urge you to support abolishing any minimum voting age. Voting is an intrinsic human right that belongs to every citizen, regardless of age. Arguments against children’s suffrage—that they lack intelligence or maturity, are easily swayed, or that adults already represent them—are the same ones once used to deny women the vote. They were wrong then and remain wrong now. An age cutoff creates unjust thresholds. Twins born minutes apart can face elections where only one votes, despite identical ages, taxes paid, and laws obeyed. Millions of 16- and 17-year-olds are smarter and more mature than millions of voting adults. Any fixed age simply shifts the injustice. “Maturity” is too vague to strip rights. Voting is not a test of correctness; it is the right to representation in the government that governs you. Denying an entire class of citizens the franchise based on group averages—while never applying the same standard to less-informed adults—is inconsistent and undemocratic. Logistics and parental influence are implementation details, not reasons to withhold a basic right. Schools could host voting; ballot order can be randomized. Democracy rests on the consent of the governed. Every citizen capable of expressing a clear preference should have that right. Please support legislation eliminating the voting-age requirement.