Washington, D.C. is planning to vote on a bill that would lower the voting age for all elections - both local and federal - to 16 years old, a full two years before participants are legally allowed to get tattoos or even buy a pack of cigarettes.
“The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens 18 and older the right to vote, but scholars have said it doesn't prevent a state, or in this case, the nation's capital, from setting a lower age,” Yahoo points out.
Yahoo reports the bill won 3-0 in the Judiciary and Public Safety committee Thursday. The full committee is set to vote on it later this month.
Proponents of the bill – including its crafter, Council member Charles Allen – say the measure will ensure more young people are brought into the election process.
Of course, a move like this couldn’t possibly be because younger people tend to vote more liberal, which couldn’t possibly be an incentive for such a left-leaning city council to want to include them on the voter rolls.