For the last 50 years, the minimum voting age requirement in America has been 18 thanks to the 26th Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Lawmakers in California are now asking with Proposition 18 to decide whether or not 17-year-olds who will turn 18 at the time of general elections should be allowed to vote.
The age registration requirement should remain 18 because minors are not mature enough to make decisions that impact the lives of everyone in the state.
It is important to note that most 17-year-olds are still in school and are under the care of their parents.
According to the California Official Voter Guide for the California General Election on Nov. 3, 17-year-olds should not be able to vote because “the logic and reasoning area of their brains is not fully developed.”
Also, allowing 17 year-old voters would not come without a financial cost.
Statewide county costs would see an increase of up to $1,000,000 every two years.
There would also be an additional cost of several hundred thousands of dollars to update the current voter registration system if Prop 18 were to pass, according to the voter guide.
There are also many issues on the ballot that regard tax paying, and it is unfair to other voters if someone who has not had to pay taxes yet has a say in how their tax dollars are going to be affected.
The law in California states that the day a person turns 18 they are no longer considered a minor, because it is at that time that their brain has developed enough to make logical and reasonable decisions.
The right to vote is sacred in this country and allowing a 17-year-old, who is still a minor, to vote will not have a good impact on elections in California.
