APRIL 15, 2003 SPEECH

Andrew Aviles
Brian Buesing
Juan Garza
Anthony Miller
Gregory Huxley Jr
Wilfred Bellard
Devon Jones
Chad Bales
Donald Oaks Jr
Christian Gurtner
Brandon Rowe
Diego Rincon
Michael Weldon,
Jesus Suarez Del Solar
Patrick O'Day
Evan James
Gregory Sanders
Ruben Estrella-Soto
Jorge Gonzalez
Brandon Sloan
Brandon Tobler
Nolen Hutchings

These are the names of the American soldiers who gave their lives in the War on Iraq, without having a chance to vote for or against the current political administration in the United States. 2 ½ years ago, they all would have been under 18, and therefore, unable to vote in the presidential election of 2000, and therefore denied a voice in determining their futures.

Thinking back to our last presidential election, I realize that if all the juniors and seniors at my high school had voted, there would have been enough votes to potentially change the outcome.

Here in America, the right to vote is taken for granted most of the time, yet, at others, it is carefully guarded from those believed to be incapable of making an informed decision. Voter apathy is at an all time high, and turnout is at an all time low, and the answer to these problems is simple—let younger citizens vote. Yet when it comes to the question: should 16 year olds be allowed to vote? Many people automatically blurt out NO WAY, without taking the time to really think about the issue.

First of all, it’s possible. The 26th amendment to the US constitution says you cannot bar citizens over 18 from voting. No where does it state that those under 18 cannot vote. It leaves lower the voting age entirely up to the individual states. Probably because there’s lots of good reasons to consider lowering it.

Lowering the voting age to 16 would increase voter turnout among older age groups. Teens would discuss politics with their parents and encourage them to turn out at the polls and vote as well. A study by Stephen Chafee of Stanford University found that increased political discussions between parents and children was a major factor in increasing turnout. Voter turnout in the 1998 elections was the lowest it’s been in over 50 years. Only 36.1% of the voting age population came to the polls. Low turnout like this threatens the foundation of democracy our country is built on.

The Kids Voting program is living proof that getting kids to the polls to vote increases adult turnout. This program allowed students, grades K-12 to vote in a national mock election at the actual polling sites adults used. In Eerie County NY, 1/3 of the adults at the polls said that the Kids Voting program was a factor in bringing them to the polls, while 11% admitted to it being the determining factor.

Also, allowing 16 year olds to vote will increase voter enthusiasm, and lead to creating lifelong politically active voters. Poll after poll concludes that teens want the right to vote, as many as 87% said they would like the right extended to a younger population. Young people are ready and willing to vote, if given the chance.

Citizens’ sense of political efficacy is diminishing as well. Voters believe that the government does not care about their needs, while the government believes the voters do not care due to low voter turnout, and thus neglect many issues of concern.

And, lowering the voting age would force government officials to consider and address the issues young people are most concerned about, such as preserving the environment and increasing social services. Issues many people already are concerned about, but which are pushed to the back of agendas by companies donating large sums of money to politicians.

I work part time. I get paid. I pay taxes—and not just sales taxes, but medicare, social security, and income tax. And you know what, I get 0 representation. Nada. Zip. Nothing at all. Well except somewhat via my parents, but at this age, aren’t I supposed to never agree with what they say? As far as I’m concerned, paying taxes and not being allowed to vote is tantamount to taxation without representation—the exact same slogan Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson championed over two hundred years ago.---See dad, I remembered something from history class—and that wasn’t even on the FCAT! It’s over this lack of representation that I’ve started my Vote 16 initiative. In the state of FL, citizens have the ability to change the state’s constitution without going through the legislature. We all have the power to make a change in our government without being elected politicians ourselves. It’s proof that democracy works, and it is only by voicing our concerns with the government’s laws, that anyone in the country is fairly represented. Signing the petition means you agree that democracy is important to the future of our country. That you agree every citizen has a right to be heard. And that you agree this issue deserves a place on the ballot.
And you know what else? Living in a state where we have a constitutional amendment dealing with pregnant pigs, an amendment lowering the voting age doesn’t really seem quite so nutty.

In my journey to collect signatures I’ve been faced with much criticism I was expecting. Kids aren’t informed. They won’t even turn out to vote. They’ll just vote for rock stars. Well guess what? Teens ARE informed, much more than most people think. They WILL turn out to vote. And I ask you, if teens won’t turn out to vote, how will they manage to get a voting block large enough to get a rock star in office?
Teens are informed; they discuss politics in school, with their parents, and according to the Washington Post, 73% of 12-17 year olds consider themselves actively interested in politics, and 95% consider voting in the presidential election an important part of our democracy.
Young adults WILL turn out to vote, if anything, more than the 18-24 year old group. In 1996, the State of Lower Saxony in Germany lowered its voting age for local elections to 16. The results, 16 and 17 year olds turned out in significantly higher percentages than 18-24 year olds.
The courts are recognizing teens more and more frequently as adults, even those considerably younger than 16, not to mention, at 16 you can get a driver's license in Florida, which is probably a lot more dangerous than voting
And as to a small group of additional voters under 18 electing a rock star, lets not forget, it was adults who elected wrestler Jesse Ventura to be Governor and adults who elected Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan to be president.

So now, here I stand before you all, asking for your help. Help me prove that everyone can have a voice. That democracy works. That everyone’s issues are important, not just those favored by big businesses and donors.

Those who started the bullet train and pregnant pig initiatives were large companies with large budgets allocated just to collecting signatures. I’m no such big company. I’m one 5’4” high school student, trying to make a difference, and I’m asking for your help. Sign the petition. But more importantly, tell everyone about it, and get them to sign it too. I have some petitions here for you all, but I need nearly 500,000 total—and I only have four years to collect them all! Thank you for any help you can offer; it’s all greatly appreciated. Visit my website, www.voteAt16.com to download more copies, or refer your friends to it. You can see articles about the cause there as well. That’s V-O-T-E-A-T-1-6 –I’m expecting lots of hits this month from all of you!

Thank You.