Lowering voting age not a good idea
After reading the article, "Let youths vote at 17?", I initially favored the idea of lowering the voting age.
As a 17-year-old junior in high school, I would have loved to vote in the recent primary and upcoming presidential election. However, as I have further considered allowing 17-year-olds to vote with "no strings attached," I feel it would be an unfortunate decision.
As I walk through my high school, I observe a lot of immature, raucous, ridiculous behavior. The thought of allowing these students to vote makes me nervous; they are, generally speaking, ill-informed and easily attracted to the "bandwagon," neglecting to make a decision based on their values and beliefs for fear of these decisions being deemed "uncool" by overly judgmental peers.
I believe that a vast majority of 17-year-olds would simply not vote if given the opportunity. This is a generalization, however: in my Advanced Placement American Government and Politics class, composed of high-achieving 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds, there are many students who astutely observe politics and form independent opinions.
In class polls, the entirety of the class has expressed these opinions, and many have verbalized a desire to vote. Unfortunately, these students comprise the minority. Most students are apathetic of politics.
I don't feel that 17-year-olds, as a demographic, posses the wisdom nor desire to participate in voting. At 18, young adults are preparing to live or are already living apart from their parents, and are often out of the social pressure-cooker that is high school. Voting at this age makes sense; the call that because 17-year-olds can be tried as adults, and as such, should be eligible to vote, is not a strong enough argument.
Yes, 17-year-olds know the laws. Yes, they know better than to break them. Yes, it is fair to try them as adults. They do not, however, possess the judgment to make an informed voting decision.
I believe that Illinois would do wrong to pass this law under the current "no strings attached" proposal. Our state legislature should follow the example set by other states and allow 17-year-olds to vote only in a primary should they be 18 by the time of the general election.
Emily Minehart
Mundelein