At the age of 16, individuals are legally allowed to drive, work a full-time job and even be tried as an adult in court, yet they do not possess the right to cast a ballot in most federal and state elections. 

The United States Congress and state legislatures should amend the Constitution to give individuals who are 16 the right to vote in federal elections. 

According to research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 16- year-olds possess the same cold cognition, meaning decisions that are not based on emotions, as adults. This shows that 16-year-olds are more than capable of understanding the significance of casting their ballot.

As reported by the Cambridge University Press, voting is a strong habitual behavior, meaning the earlier someone votes, the more likely they are to do it again for the next elections. 

In 1971, the United States government adopted the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18 from 21, this change was made because many 18-year-old men were fighting overseas in the Vietnam War, yet they had no control over the leaders making the decisions. 

This same energy can be brought into the 21st century. Now, the issue that young people are most concerned about isn’t Medicare or student loan debt, but climate change, an issue many politicians ignore.

With a Constitutional amendment lowering the voting age to 16, the U.S. government will finally listen to the young population while bringing in new voters for future elections.