Nathaniel Esubonteng felt determined as he approached the podium at the city council meeting in Newark, New Jersey, last winter. Then a junior at Science Park High School, Nathaniel wanted a say in how his local school board is run—and this was his chance to make his voice heard.
School board members have a hand in everything from what students eat in the cafeteria to the types of classes they take, but Newark residents had to be at least 18 to have a voice in electing members of the board. Nathaniel and other teens didn’t think that was fair.
In a brief but impassioned speech, Nathaniel, 17, urged the city’s leaders to lower the voting age to 16 for Newark school board elections.
“We’re at school eight hours a day with no real input in the things that are happening there,” he says. “I want young people to have a seat at the table—to have more control over their futures and the decisions being made about their education.”
Members of Newark’s city council agreed. In January of this year, the council voted unanimously to lower the voting age to 16 for school board elections, a decision influenced significantly by input from Nathaniel and other young people. The historic move makes Newark—with a population of more than 300,000—the largest community in the United States to expand voting rights to young people in more than 50 years.
In the U.S., the voting age for all federal elections, including the presidential election that will take place on November 5, and for most local and state elections, is 18. But a growing number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the country have been pushing for the right to cast ballots. Some of these teens have helped spearhead environmental marches, protests against gun violence, and other demonstrations. Many are also politically active on social media—and want a chance to express their opinions at the polls.
“Teens see that people like them matter to our communities and democracy,” says Abby Kiesa, a researcher who studies youth voting trends at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University in Massachusetts. “These dynamics may motivate youth to find ways to have a voice in their community, such as through voting.”
Last winter, Nathaniel Esubonteng felt determined. He approached the podium at the city council meeting in Newark, New Jersey, to express his views about how his local school board is run. This was a chance for the junior at Science Park High School to make his voice heard.
School board members have a hand in everything from what students eat in the cafeteria to the types of classes they take. But to vote in a school board election, Newark residents had to be at least 18 years old. Nathaniel and other teens didn’t think that was fair.
In a brief but heartfelt speech, Nathaniel, 17, urged the city’s leaders to lower the voting age to 16 for Newark school board elections.
“We’re at school eight hours a day with no real input in the things that are happening there,” he says. “I want young people to have a seat at the table—to have more control over their futures and the decisions being made about their education.”
Members of Newark’s city council agreed. In January of this year, the council voted unanimously to lower the voting age to 16 for school board elections. The decision was influenced significantly by input from Nathaniel and other young people. The historic move makes Newark—with a population of more than 300,000—the largest community in the United States to expand voting rights to young people in more than 50 years.
In the U.S., the voting age for all federal elections is 18. This includes voting in the presidential election, which will take place on November 5, and most local and state elections. But a growing number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the country have been pushing for the right to cast ballots. Some of these teens are involved in leading environmental marches, protests against gun violence, and other demonstrations. Many are also politically active on social media. They want a chance to express their opinions at the polls.
“Teens see that people like them matter to our communities and democracy,” says Abby Kiesa, a researcher who studies youth voting trends at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University in Massachusetts. “These dynamics may motivate youth to find ways to have a voice in their community, such as through voting.”